Galaxy Begins New Season Without Riqui Puig but With Enhanced Team Depth

Galaxy Faces New Challenges as Riqui Puig’s Injury Extends into 2026 Season

On January 1, Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney reached out to his star player, Riqui Puig, wishing him a happy new year. The following day, Puig delivered disappointing news: he would require another surgery for his left knee, sidelining him once again this season. Despite the setback, Vanney and general manager Will Kuntz have opted to stick with their offseason plans rather than rework their strategy in the wake of Puig’s continued absence.

“We wanted to reinforce the back line and look for a striker. We’ve done both of those things successfully,” Vanney stated. “The difference is that we don’t have Riqui’s qualities, which we learned to manage last year.”

Last season, the Galaxy struggled initially, going winless in their first 16 matches—the worst start for a reigning MLS champion. However, they adapted to playing without Puig, finishing with a record of 7-6-5 in MLS and securing victories against three top Mexican teams in the Leagues Cup.

This adaptive mindset has carried into the preseason, where the Galaxy achieved a 3-1-1 record against MLS teams, recording two shutouts and scoring 15 goals while conceding seven.

The team will begin competitive play on Thursday in the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Sporting San Miguelito in Panama. Just three days later, they will launch their MLS season against New York City FC at Dignity Health Sports Park, kicking off a demanding stretch with four matches across two countries in just nine days.

This season will see three new starters: center back Jakob Glesnes, midfielder/center back Justin Haak, and striker Joao Klauss. The Galaxy, who allowed 66 goals last season—nearly a franchise record—are hoping Glesnes, a former league defender of the year, and Haak will provide the necessary defensive fortitude.

Klauss, acquired from St. Louis City for $2.375 million, takes on Puig’s designated player spot and will assume a central role in the team’s offense.

“He’s a guy with confidence, and you can tell he’s so good,” said defender John Nelson, who played alongside Klauss in St. Louis. “He’s a beast in the air and has good feet for a big man. So the fans should be really excited.”

The Galaxy finds itself at a critical juncture. After winning a record sixth MLS Cup in 2024 and finishing unbeaten at home, the team faced adversity last season, registering a franchise-low seven wins and missing out on the playoffs.

The loss of Puig, widely regarded as an irreplaceable player, presents a significant challenge. Yet the Galaxy has navigated this situation before and will strive to do so again.

“We’re not going to be the exact same team that we would be if Riqui was roaming the midfield,” Vanney noted. “We’re stronger in a lot of other positions. That’s going to help this team because in the second half of last year, we were competitive with everybody.”

With a new lineup combined with lessons learned from last season, the Galaxy aims to make a strong start. Notably, only two players—defender Julian Aude and goalkeeper Novak Micovic—remain from the roster Kuntz inherited in April 2023. The newly strengthened team prepares for what could be a grueling beginning to the season.

If they advance to the second round of the CONCACAF tournament, the Galaxy faces the prospect of playing nine games within the season’s first four weeks, traveling through multiple time zones. As a result, Vanney anticipates sending different lineups for MLS and CONCACAF matches.

“The games are going to happen so fast; it’s something we’ve definitely been pondering,” he remarked.

Looking ahead, the tight schedule will challenge MLS teams throughout the season, as the league compresses its 34-game schedule into the first half of the year, followed by a seven-week pause for the World Cup. When play resumes in mid-July, teams will have just over three months to complete the last 19 matches.

“The schedule, we can’t control. We have to manage it,” said defender Maya Yoshida. “It’s not easy, but this is part of MLS, and we already know how to deal with it.”

As evidenced by their performance at the end of last season, the Galaxy has demonstrated resilience without Puig. Now, the task is to continue building on that strength in the face of ongoing challenges.