For Major League Soccer, 2025 was a year to remember. For the L.A. Galaxy, though, it was a year to forget.
The defending 2024 champion entered the season with high hopes but soon plummeted into ignominy. It lost its opening match to debut franchise San Diego FC, looking shaken, disorganized and confused, then failed to win any of its next 15 league fixtures. By the time the 2025 season ended, the Galaxy were well out of playoff contention and shouldering the league’s second-worst record for goals conceded.
There are many reasons why the Galaxy fell in 2025 — the loss of Riqui Puig to an ACL tear, the sale of key players like Dejan Joveljic and Gaston Brugman to comply with league salary regulations, the rise of other franchises across the league — but their woeful defense shouldered most of the blame.
The Galaxy’s ever-shifting back line never looked comfortable and often tripped itself into humiliating errors. When facing Sporting Kansas City in the middle of the season, the Galaxy managed to lose 1-0 despite not conceding a single shot on target. Blame Japanese central defender Maya Yoshida; his head-smashing own goal sealed the impossible result.
Clearly, a rebuild was in order. But the Galaxy haven’t just supplemented their struggling back line; they’ve overhauled it with intention by signing two of the league’s top defenders in quick succession.
Jakob Glesnes, Philadelphia Union
The Galaxy kicked off their rebuild by signing Norwegian center back Jakob Glesnes from the Philadelphia Union.
“In his six years in MLS, Jakob has established himself as one of the best center backs in the league and a back-line leader on multiple Supporters’ Shield-winning teams,” said Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz. “We are thrilled to welcome Jakob and his family to Los Angeles.”