https://static01.nyt.com/images/2023/05/31/multimedia/31soccer-galaxyWEB1-tkmz/31soccer-galaxyWEB1-tkmz-facebookJumbo.jpg
When David Beckham, the world’s most renowned soccer player, joined Major League Soccer in 2007, the league was put on the map and the Los Angeles Galaxy was established as the superteam of the young league. During Beckham’s time, the Galaxy won two out of three M.L.S. Cups and exuded a Hollywood glamour that resonated around the world.
However, this season, the Galaxy has the worst record in the league with only two wins out of 14 games and has missed the playoffs in four out of the past five seasons. In response to the team’s dismal performance and months of backlash from hard-core fans disappointed with the team’s direction, the team fired Chris Klein, its long-serving president, who played with Beckham on the Galaxy.
Fans voiced their disappointment and called for Klein’s dismissal, with some threatening to boycott games, which led to a 10% decrease in attendance from last season. Galaxy Coach Greg Vanney expressed hope for a peaceful resolution, saying that the supporters’ groups are important to the players and the team.
The team stated that Vanney will remain as the coach, while they seek a new leader who will guide the club to the level expected by fans and partners. The Galaxy’s last M.L.S. championship was back in 2014, its third title in four years, but it has not won anything significant since then, including last year’s playoffs, which ended with the team’s exit in the conference semifinals by Los Angeles F.C.
Since 2018, L.A.F.C., the new team in town, has emerged with three honors in its trophy case, winning the Supporters Shield twice and last season’s M.L.S. Cup championship, in addition to reaching the final of this year’s Concacaf Champions League.
Meanwhile, the Galaxy is struggling this season, with the worst record of 2-9-3 and a goal difference of minus-14. Among the underachieving big-name Galaxy players are Mexico’s striker Javier Hernández known as Chicharito and Douglas Costa of Brazil, who is scoreless in four appearances and also faces arrest in Brazil for nonpayment of child support.
Following Klein’s dismissal, supporters’ groups congratulated each other on the news and promised to return to the games. Klein drew some criticism last year after M.L.S. found violations in a deal to sign the Argentine wing Cristian Pavón, leading to his suspension in the off-season and sanctions that limit the Galaxy’s international transfer market this summer. Rebuilding the Galaxy team will undoubtedly be a challenging task, and even with fans’ renewed support, it may take some time for them to return to glory.
