LA Galaxy are the most successful team in Major League Soccer (MLS). With six MLS Cups to their name, including last season’s trophy, it’s safe to say the team have long been the ones to watch in the MLS.

However, the Galaxy are facing some early challenges in the 2025 MLS season. At the time of writing, they were still seeking their first win after nine matches. After winning the MLS Cup last year, the team is currently working to regain momentum, sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with three points.

They lost just eight games throughout the entire season in 2024, but already the Galaxy have six defeats to their name. Few could have anticipated the drop-off in form experienced by the defending MLS champions.

New recruits and injuries have made it hard for the Galaxy to find consistency

Sure, it wasn’t likely to be as plain sailing as last season. For starters, the franchise was forced to recruit a string of new faces over the winter. These included Mathias Jorgensen, Ascel Essengue, and Christian Ramirez. The latter has enjoyed a prolific professional career in the MLS, turning out for the likes of Minnesota United, Los Angeles FC, Houston Dynamo, and Columbus Crew prior to his move to the Dignity Health Sports Park.

Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney has also had to contend with a host of injuries to first-team players at the start of the regular season. The likes of Riqui Puig, Maya Yoshida, Marco Reus, and Joseph Paintsil are all big-name players who have been sidelined. Vanney’s side has missed the elite-level experience of Reus, Yoshida and Co.

It’s Galaxy’s goal output that’s been the most alarming problem. Vanney’s men have mustered just six goals scored in a quarter of a season. It’s the joint worst scoring record in the Western Conference and the second worst scoring record in all of the MLS this season.

Christian Ramirez has scored half of Galaxy’s goals after the opening nine games. Ramirez joined the Galaxy from Columbus Crew earlier this year and could not have imagined he would be playing in a team rooted to the bottom of the Western Conference. The Galaxy averaged more than two goals scored per game last season en route to finishing second to city rivals LAFC on goal difference.

The Galaxy’s chances of back-to-back MLS Cups are fading fast

 

The Galaxy’s futures odds have unsurprisingly drifted for this year’s MLS Cup. After a quarter of the regular season, the Galaxy’s odds have drifted to +3900 with Betano, a Canadian online sports gambling site. However, their futures market still shows no fewer than ten teams with longer odds than Vanney’s side. This alone suggests this is a roster that should be nowhere near battling for the wooden spoon.

It's the first time that Vanney, the 2017 MLS Coach of the Year, has been under immense pressure as the Galaxy’s head coach. The two-time MLS Cup winner needs to find the solutions – and fast.

Only a matter of months ago, Vanney was quoted as saying their MLS Cup success was vindication that they were “back as an organization”. Within a few short weeks of the 2025 MLS season, already those words are starting to ring somewhat hollow.