LA Galaxy Player Ratings vs. Orlando City

The LA Galaxy once again had the lion’s share of possession (63%), but nothing to show for it with finishes just missing in a series of promising attacks. Notably, Kévin Cabral was involved in a good chunk of these attacks where his extended foot was *just short* of glory, or his assist was inches from being on target. What to do with a player that’s in the right spot, but can’t hit the broad side of a barn? At the beginning of the season the answer is to be patient, but it feels a little bit like an exercise in futility after 2021.

20 shots to 6, 12 corners, 22 crosses, a total team xG of 2.3 to 0.5 (!!!!!!!!), and yet the Galaxy lost this game. They need finishers, badly. One has to start wondering when Dejan Joveljić gets to start a game since Cabral can’t buy a goal.

That said, Cabral was the focal point of so many attacks. His xG was the highest on the team at 1.2!!! (Comparison: Chicharito xG 0.21). Grandsir tried to replicate this in the last 30 minutes, but he didn’t get into the box.

So, one moment of transition and once again a defensive individual error broke the Galaxy. The USMNT has to hope that this version of Julian Araujo shows up at right back for Mexico this week. He is seriously out of shape defensively right now. WOOF. Once again the opposing goal was a direct result of some serious ball watching.

This team is so close to being good. One additional finisher close to being good. Can Cabral snap out of his funk?

Player Ratings

Good

• Víctor Vázquez - lovely cross to Cabral in the 4th minute. Sent in a pass behind Chicharito in the 18th minute on a break that looked destined for a goal. Just missed Cabral on a chipped key pass into the six in the 35th minute. Man of the Match
• Raheem Edwards - important interception and clearance at 14 minutes, stopping a break. Stunning pass into Vázquez in the 21st minute right at the top of the box. 4 key passes.
• Nick DePuy - no major errors.
• Séga Coulibaly - important interception in the 67th minute and got a goal kick off it too.
• Mark Delgado - tracked back in the 52nd minute to prevent Orlando from scoring on a counter off a corner.

Okay

• Kévin Cabral - nice dummy to Chicharito in the 15th minute resulted in a shot on goal (and a near follow-up scorpion kick!). Nice cross across the front of goal in the 24th minute, but it found no one. Just missed getting on a squared ball in the 28th minute, and repeated it on a chipped ball over the top in the 35th. Mercifully subbed off in the 62nd minute…but the Galaxy didn’t do much else.
• Douglas Costa - meh in his 45 minutes.
• Chicharito - nice layoff to Álvarez to start the second half. Just missed the target on a shot in the 63rd minute.
• Rayan Raveloson - sent in a squared ball that BEGGED to be put into the back of the net in the 28th minute. Sent in the wrong pass in the 57th minute straight to a defender in the six with multiple Galaxy players waiting.
• Jonathan Bond - didn’t have to do much, hung out to dry on the goal.
• Samuel Grandsir - sent in a few promising passes from the left.
• Sacha Kljestan - not much in his time on the pitch.
• Dejan Joveljić - late sub.

Poor

• Efraín Álvarez - shot right at the goalkeeper in the 78th minute. Off target on several passes. Needs to be a more consistent creative outlet.
• Julian Araujo - nice pass to Rayan to start the game. Continued his defensive miscues from last week - not sure who he was marking on Orlando’s goal. Air? Badly whiffed a cross in the 31st minute on a promising attack. Tracked back in the 59th minute to prevent a cross. Did have three key passes, but his main job resulted in a losing goal.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!