Extratime

The LA Galaxy's ideal coaching candidate might not be who you think | Extratime

Seattle Sounders assistant coach Gonzalo Pineda

Now that Guillermo Barros Schelotto is out as LA Galaxy, the big question is who will be the club’s next head coach.


Club legend Robbie Keane’s name has been mentioned on a few occasions as Dominic Kinnear has taken over as interim coach for a second time.


It’s a hot topic and the Extratime crew took a swing as well. The big sexy pick is Miguel “El Piojo” Herrera, although Club America’s dynamic manager said he hasn’t had any conversations with club officials.


David Gass suggests to go beyond the headline-making names, remain inside Major League Soccer and find a coach who he thinks ticks many boxes for what he believes would be important for an LA Galaxy coach.

That name? Gonzalo Pineda, a Seattle Sounders assistant coach and former Mexican legend, who finished his playing career as a defensive midfielder for the Sounders.


“He’s a Chivas legend, he’s a Liga MX legend, he played in the World Cup for Mexico, he has all the credentials to get the respect of a guy like Chicharito, and Jona dos Santos,” Gass said. “He has done a lot of the tactical work behind the scenes for Brian Schmetzer to keep Seattle relevant and dangerous at the top as pieces have moved in … he gets a ton of the credit.”