Vanney pointed to the Galaxy’s mountain of injuries in 2023 that became too significant to overcome, resulting in a 13th-place finish in the Western Conference (36 points; 8W-14L-12D) and elimination from the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs with two games to play. after.
The last player listed above (Chicharito) presents another difficult decision as LA looks to reverse course for 2024 and beyond. He is recovering from a torn ACL suffered in June, but at 35 years old and assigned to the DP spot, a comeback doesn’t seem easy for Mexico’s all-time leading goalscorer. Chicharito is also out of contract this winter, totaling 38 goals and six assists in 74 games since joining from Spanish side Sevilla ahead of the 2020 campaign.
“A lot of this is working out and analyzing the short-term and long-term strategy of our group and how we can be successful next year, but also how we can continue to be successful for years to come,” Vanney said.
“… Javi, obviously he has shown his qualities as a player, as a leader. We all know Javi very well and we appreciate Javi. It’s just a combination of where he’s at, where we’re at and thinking about success in both the short and long term. We all know in this department that the DP positions are such sought after positions. You don’t get many of those, so when you make decisions like that, they have to be very well thought out and smart decisions have to be made.”