LA Galaxy sign veteran defender Oniel Fisher

The LA Galaxy announced Monday they have signed defender Oniel Fisher ahead of the 2021 season. The fullback joins as a free agent after spending the last three seasons with D.C. United.

“We are excited to have Oniel join the LA Galaxy,” said LA Galaxy General Manager Dennis te Kloese in a team statement. “He is a talented defender who can play multiple positions along the backline and brings versatility and MLS experience to our defense. We look forward to him joining our club.”

The 29-year-old has played his entire professional career to date in MLS. Drafted out of the University of New Mexico in 2015 by the Seattle Sounders, he spent three seasons there before being traded to D.C. ahead of the 2018 season. A knee injury kept him out the entire 2019 campaign, but the fullback was a depth option in 2020 for United, making 15 appearances (six starts) in league play.

Fisher is also a Jamaican international, notching 15 caps to date. He featured in the 2017 Concacaf Gold Cup, helping Jamaica reach the final of that competition. However, he will not count as an international player for the Galaxy, because he has a green card.

I think this is a move that was needed, and I’m curious to see how much he’ll play in 2021. I think the idea is he’ll be a backup or rotational option, but having a player with his experience level who probably recognizes he won’t be starting every game is useful on an MLS roster. But it’s a savvy pickup for a team that needs to rebuild the defense and get back on track in MLS play.

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