Your Monday morning links and an introduction

Hi folks, Alicia Rodriguez here. I’ve been covering MLS since 2011, both here at SB Nation and formerly at MLSsoccer.com. And you’ll be seeing me around these parts more moving forwards a community editor. If you’re familiar with my previous work, I’ve covered all of MLS since 2013, including the Galaxy, and know this team inside out. The bottom line? All of us working on this site are here to bring professionalism, passion and a sense of fun to the coverage of the Galaxy.

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With that, on to the notable news for this Monday:

• Chicharito joining the Galaxy? The big news, not only around the Galaxy but MLS overall, is the rumbling rumor that Chicharito may finally, finally be joining the league, and to LA. Spanish outlet AS reported on Sunday that the Galaxy and the player(‘s representatives) will meet today to iron out a deal. This comes after The Los Angeles Times’ Kevin Baxter reported the Galaxy are in advanced discussions on a transfer. The Mexican international is at Sevilla right now but he’s not lighting the world on fire in his return to La Liga, so the time may be right for him to come stateside.
• Danilo Acosta signed: This is from last week, but the last signing LA made was for young defender Danilo Acosta. The fullback began his career as a highly-touted Homegrown for Real Salt Lake, but after being benched there, reportedly for attitude reasons, and then going on an unsuccessful loan to Orlando City last year, his stock has plummeted. But Acosta has drawn international interest from both the USMNT and Honduras in the past, and at 22 is a decent risk/reward flyer for the Galaxy.
• Gonzalez is Los Dos boss: The Galaxy also announced last week that Junior Gonzalez’s appointment as LA Galaxy II head coach has been converted from interim status to permanent. Gonzalez helped orchestrate a late-season rally for Los Dos in 2019, helping the reserve team somewhat surprisingly reach the USL Championship playoffs.
• eMLS update: The first eMLS event of the 2020 season took place over the weekend in Philadelphia, with the Galaxy’s player Giuseppe “Godfather” Guastella finishing in 9th place in Day 1 play with 6W-2L-4D, meaning he just missed out on the knockouts for the event. The League Series One winner was FC Cincinnati’s Gordon “FiddleGT” Thornberry, and the next event is Feb. 15 in Portland.
• Zlatan scores on Milan re-debut: Finally, it’s probably fitting to end this morning roundup with footage of Zlatan Ibrahimovic, leaving the Galaxy to join plucky outfit AC Milan, scoring in his first game back there.

So, can Chicharito fill the Zlatan-shaped void in LA’s attack? Will the Mexican come, or is this another rumor filled with hot air? Leave a comment below!