LA Galaxy admit “we need to do our jobs better” ahead of group-stage finale

The LA Galaxy touted their effort and execution in the first half of their El Trafico clash Saturday against LAFC, but admitted they fell apart to end the game, which resulted in a chastening 6-2 loss.

“If you’re looking at 65 minutes of that game, we’re doing pretty good,” goalkeeper David Bingham told reporters during pregame availability Tuesday. “Is it perfect? It’s not. But we’re in the game and we’re in a good spot going forward...The game’s 90 minutes long, it’s not 60 or 65. So we have to do better finishing off games and we have to work on that this week going into Houston.”

While admitting the Galaxy need to be mentally stronger, Bingham said they couldn’t blame the unique conditions of the MLS is Back Tournament for their faults.

“I think we have to minimize the mistakes and claiming that we need more subs is a cop-out. Every team here is dealing with the same elements and some teams have dealt with them better than others. The last 25, 30 minutes of that game, we have to be mentally better.”

Defender Daniel Steres called the MLS is Back Tournament “essentially a preseason tournament,” but said the team needs to work together better to rectify the mistakes laid bare in the last game.

“I think it’s a little bit of cohesiveness, some of the goals have been small particular moments that we need to do better at,” Steres said. “Late in that LAFC game obviously we never want to give up that many goals, of course, but we’re chasing and things happen towards the end. There’s fixable goals earlier in that game as well as the Portland game. It’s probably looking at ourselves and doing our jobs better.”

Steres admitted with the Galaxy’s start to the 2020 season, “Of course there’s concern. We haven’t won a game yet in the season. That’s never what we want.”

But he said LA need to work together more if they want to improve.

“That’s part of it, is working as a team on the field. I think we need to talk more as a unit, not just the backline but the entire team. But we can work and talk these things through, we still have to get it done and execute on the field. I think in training, we’ve got to talk more there, starting there and bring it more onto the field, so we are all on the same page, we know what each other are doing, even if mistakes happen, because they will, during a game. People are there to back each other up.”

Another defender, newcomer Emiliano Insua, admitted the level in MLS is a challenge and players can’t skate by.

“It was my first few games in MLS and I already feel like it will be very difficult,” he said in English. “It’s a league, if you are not fit enough or good in terms of teamwork, it will be difficult. We have to keep working on that. I already am working on this issue. We need to keep going because this year, of course it’s a strange year, but we need to keep focus to improve and do better in the following games.”

The Galaxy are next up against the Houston Dynamo Thursday, to wrap up group play in the MLS is Back Tournament and attempt to qualify for the knockout stage. Otherwise, they’re out of the competition.

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