LA Galaxy aren’t exactly kicking back during season break

What have the LA Galaxy been doing on their extended break so far?

Well, aside from the international players, who have been traveling hither and yon and playing in games, the rest of the squad has been doing a little bit of this and a little bit of that.

Following LA’s 1-0 Cali Clasico win over the San Jose Earthquakes, head coach Greg Vanney said he gave the players who stayed home four days off, and they’ve since been easing back into training and gym work with a couple extra days off sprinkled in before June 19’s return to action, at a full Dignity Health Sports Park against the Seattle Sounders.

“We try to keep them engaged but also give them an opportunity for their bodies to recover a little bit, and not try to force things too long,” Vanney told reporters during media availability on Wednesday. “Today, we played a little bit, 60 minutes of scrimmage. On this day connected to 11-v-11 full field soccer, just from a physical standpoint so we’re trying to tie all of that, we’re spending a little bit of time just on some tactical things and some things that are, as we continue to add players into the group and we have guys around just trying to stay sharp and maybe even add a couple new things, new wrinkles into what we’re trying to do as we continue to progress.”

Even with the break from games, it’s been busy around the Galaxy. New defender Sega Coulibaly has arrived and begun training, and Vanney said he could be in contention to play against the Sounders. Another signing, Rayan Raveloson, is still finishing up his paperwork, but Vanney is hopeful he’ll be arriving before long, possibly even before the next game.

As for the team captain, Jonathan dos Santos, Vanney confirmed the calf strain injury the player is dealing with that ruled him out of the Concacaf Nations League finals with Mexico, but the midfielder is back with his club this week and it’s possible he could be back in action for the next game.

While fans have been back at games at DHSP this season, the next game will be the first one since March 2020 when a full house will be in attendance. Vanney is excited to have that occasion coming up.

“Very much looking forward to that. I think for the players, for everybody just the energy in the stadium is going to be so different than what I think anybody has felt in such a long time between the players, the fans themselves, everybody which I think is really exciting. And so I’m glad we’re at home,” he said.

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