The wait is almost over: We are just 5 days from #MLSisBack, the same number of days as championships won by LA Galaxy.
A founding member of Major League Soccer's inaugural season, the LA Galaxy are used to making the MLS Cup Playoffs. In fact, there have been just two stretches in their existence that they have been passive viewers of the postseason rather than participants: From 2006-08 and 2017-18.
That's how unprecedented the Galaxy's insipid recent run over the last two seasons has been for one of the league's most storied clubs. It was a foreign concept to the club's star man Zlatan Ibrahimovic, who's won 11 league titles with five different clubs across Europe since making his professional debut in 1999.
Last season was particularly painful, as a late-season surge led the club to the precipice of overcoming a faulty defense and grabbing the last playoff place in the Western Conference, which would have set up a Knockout Round match against LAFC. But, the Galaxy coughed up a 2-0 lead at home on Decision Day while heavily favored over the Houston Dynamo, losing 3-2 and missing the playoffs by a point.
Steps have been taken by the front office to rectify this situation.
This offseason, the Galaxy named Dennis te Kloese general manager, re-signed Ibrahimovic and appointed Guillermo Barros Schelotto head coach. They also reinforced the defense, with Diego Polenta brought in to lead the back line.
Personnel aren't the only changes to the Galaxy in 2019.
This season, the Galaxy will be returning five stars to their jerseys, an ode to their league-leading five titles. The last of their five stars was earned in 2014, when Robbie Keane helped power the club past the New England Revolution.
“The LA Galaxy are MLS’s most successful club,” team president Chris Klein said in a statement. “Each star represents an incredible journey in our club’s history. They represent a series of accomplishments that no other Major League Soccer team has replicated. Our jersey will showcase what we’ve achieved on the field and in the city of Los Angeles.”
Can the club end their recent barren streak, or will it be three consecutive years without the Galaxy in the playoffs?
