LA Galaxy without Bruce Arena

It was a summer of change at the StubHub Center, as LA Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena departed after eight years of service. The iconic manager, who guided the club to the top of the Western Conference on four occasions, claimed two MLS Supporters’ Shields and won three MLS Cups, has now taken charge of the United States Men’s National Team.

With Arena’s first game as an international coach coming up, we turn our attention back to LA Galaxy.

The club have returned to training ahead of the start of the 2017 Major League Soccer season in a little over a month. Taking charge of proceedings is Curt Onalfo, who was selected to take over the managerial vacancy after guiding LA Galaxy II to three consecutive play-offs in the United Soccer League.

Onalfo’s record of 41 wins, 20 draws and 25 losses (which gives him a win percentage of 48%), is undeniably good. Winning 48% of your matches in an MLS season would undoubtedly get you into the MLS Cup play-offs, if not land you the Supporters’ Shield. However, it is easy to forget that there is a real gulf in quality between the level that Onalfo is used to managing at and MLS.

His little top flight experience came between 2007 and 2010. After taking charge of Sporting Kansas City ahead of the 2007 season, he guided the club to the play-offs in his first two campaigns. However, a disappointing 2009 season saw him dismissed going into the final few months, with the club sitting in sixth.

His only other spell in MLS would come with D.C. United a few months later. However, a poor record, in which he recorded just three wins in 18 matches, quickly saw him lose his place at the club, which will be a worry for the LA Galaxy board.

Onalfo undoubtedly has potential, but he takes over at a time when there is a lot of work to be done at the StubHub Center. Iconic English midfielder Steven Gerrard has announced his retirement after two seasons with the American side, and his experience in the dressing room will be missed. However, the biggest loss is Robbie Keane, who announced that he would be leaving the side back in November.

Like Gerrard, Keane leaves the side short of experience. Although, the biggest impact will be felt on LA Galaxy’s goals scored tally. Keane was the club’s Golden Boot winner for four consecutive seasons between 2012 and 2015, which left him second in the club’s all-time top goalscorer chart with 101 goals. Giovani dos Santos proved last season that he can take centre stage in Keane’s absence, but LA Galaxy will still need to make up the 15+ goals a season that the Irishman provided.

Despite Gerrard and Keane’s exits freeing up two Designated Player spots, Onalfo has opted to bring in replacements on the cheap. Jermaine Jones, signed from MLS rivals Colorado Rapids, has bags of experience, having played all over Europe, will likely fill the gap left by Gerrard.

South American pair Joao Pedro and Miguel Aguilar have also joined and will make decent additions to the current squad. Pedro has had an excellent few years with Italian side Cagliari in an attacking midfield role, and his arrival will allow Dos Santos to push up into the centre forward position if required. However, promising goalscorer Gyasi Zardes is likely to feature at Onalfo’s first-choice striker.

LA Galaxy haven’t been at their best over the past few years, since they claimed the MLS Cup back in 2014. They have consistently reached the play-offs, but failed to dominate as many expected they would. Perhaps a shake-up is just what they needed to take them back to the top.