The cavalry is arriving for the LA Galaxy.
On Thursday afternoon the club currently mired in a five-game losing streak formally announced the signing of Mexican international Jonathan Dos Santos, on a transfer from Spain’s Villarreal. The move, which has been rumored in recent days, comes just hours after the club announced the firing of head coach Curt Onalfo, who was replaced by legendary Galaxy coach Sigi Schmid.
Jonathan Dos Santos will be reunited with his older brother, Giovani Dos Santos, who arrived at the Galaxy in July 2015, also from Villarreal. In addition to featuring for the Mexican national team and Spanish club Villarreal, the two siblings also played together in the FC Barcelona academy.
The signing of Jonathan Dos Santos strengthens a Galaxy central midfield in flux during 2017 with new arrivals Joao Pedro, Jermaine Jones, and local product Rafa Garcia carrying the bulk of the minutes. Recently, left back Ashley Cole has also filled in at the position. The midfield challenges have also hurt the Galaxy’s back line, which has allowed the fourth most goals in MLS (37).
LA underwent an offseason makeover and have struggled on the field in 2017. They currently sit in ninth place in the Western Conference, but they only sit five points removed from the sixth and final playoff spot. The most glaring shortcoming has come on their home field at StubHub Center, where they have stumbled to a league-worst 1W-6L-3D record.
The Galaxy have 14 matches remaining to save their 2017 regular season, beginning with a Week 21 home match against the Seattle Sounders on Saturday, July 29 at 10 pm ET (ESPN and ESPN Deportes in USA; MLS LIVE in Canada). Eight of their next 10 league matches will come against teams currently in playoff position in the East and West.
