Of all the teams in Major League Soccer, none has had a wilder two-season run than the L.A. Galaxy. In 2024, the Galaxy won the MLS Cup in grand style; in 2025, it went on a historic 16-match winless streak and finished well outside the playoffs.
How, then, does one judge the Galaxy in 2026? Is it reasonable to hold it to the high standards of 2024 or the low standards of 2025? Or is there a better way to evaluate its progress than those admittedly extreme goalposts?
Galaxy coach Greg Vanney thinks there is. In his preseason news conference, Vanney laid out three clear principles of play that he aims to master with his 2026 Galaxy team.
But what are they? Why do they matter? And how did the Galaxy perform them in its season-opening 1-1 draw with NYCFC?