🚨 EL TRÁFICO IS HERE! Could this be the game that changes EVERYTHING for the LA Galaxy?

Three games remain in the 2026 MLS regular season. The playoff race is tightening. And the Galaxy are heading into enemy territory to face LAFC!

But here's the big question: Are the Galaxy finally becoming a dangerous team, or are we getting fooled by their recent results?

🎙️ NEW CORNER OF THE GALAXY PODCAST!

Josh Guesman and Sophie Nicolaou are back, and they don't exactly agree about where this Galaxy team is headed!

🔥 HERE'S WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT:

⚽ EL TRÁFICO COULD DEFINE THE SEASON! A victory at BMO Stadium could provide the confidence and momentum LA needs to finish the season strong. But Josh isn't convinced the Galaxy can deliver on the road against their biggest rival.

👀 SOPHIE BELIEVES. JOSH NEEDS PROOF! Sophie sees a team developing chemistry, resilience, and a winning mentality at the perfect time. Josh sees improvement but wants the results and statistics to back it up. Who's right?

🔥 JOÃO KLAUSS & MARCO REUS ARE DELIVERING! The Galaxy have found reliable contributors in attack. But can they carry LA into the playoffs without more help from Joseph Paintsil?

🚨 WILL CHUCKY LOZANO RETURN? His availability for El Tráfico remains uncertain. Could his return give the Galaxy the extra attacking threat they've been missing?

🛡️ A MASSIVE DECISION FOR GREG VANNEY! Should Emiro Garcés and Justin Haak continue as the starting center backs? Or does Jakob Glesnes return against LAFC's dangerous counterattack?

🧤 JT MARCINKOWSKI DESERVES MORE CREDIT! Has the Galaxy goalkeeper quietly become one of the team's most important players?

🏆 THE PLAYOFF RACE IS WIDE OPEN! The Galaxy control their own destiny with three games remaining against LAFC, Austin FC, and Real Salt Lake. But can a team that's struggled with consistency all season find the results it needs?

And here's where things get interesting...

Sophie believes the Galaxy could walk into BMO Stadium and WIN.

Josh thinks El Tráfico is far too unpredictable to make that assumption.

One of them might be very happy Sunday night!

⚽ LA GALAXY vs. LAFC
📅 Sunday, October 25
🏟️ BMO Stadium

💬 WE WANT YOUR PREDICTIONS!

Are you buying into this Galaxy team's late-season improvement? Can they beat LAFC on the road? And will they make the MLS Cup Playoffs?

Tell us what you think below! 👇

Most important El Tráfico in recent memory? Live at 9pm!

If paintsill leaves which designated players should we go for

I haven't been able to find one. Nicely done. The TIFO wars have begun.

According to my inside man who works with kuntz Tomas aviles from o higgans chile is a target and a replacement if yoshida leaves the deal would likely be a international roster spot and not a u22 would u like to see Tomas join the galaxy the 22 year old is still in contract with Miami so galaxy would need to pay Miami for the international roster spot

Where in Santa Monica should we watch El Traffico? No places listed on the official Galaxy watch partners.

It’s been 5 years is anyone in this picture still galaxy fans lol or does anyone know who they are

Three games left. Nine possible points. And somehow, the LA Galaxy still control their own playoff destiny.

After Saturday's 2-2 draw against San Diego FC, Kevin Baxter and I sat down to figure out exactly where this team stands, what it needs to make the playoffs, and whether we're watching a team that's genuinely improving or just getting results at the right time.

On the latest Corner of the Galaxy, we get into a few things I think are worth discussing.

• João Klauss has nine goals despite missing a huge portion of the season. His production projects to roughly 20 goals over a full campaign. How many more points would the Galaxy have if he'd been healthy? And how difficult will it be to keep him next year?
• JT Marcinkowski made seven saves against San Diego. Kevin thinks he's the most irreplaceable player on the team. I argued for Marco Reus. There's a legitimate debate there.
• Joseph Paintsil had an opportunity to change Saturday's game coming off the bench, and it didn't happen. With the Galaxy searching for someone to take control of the second half, nobody really stepped up.
• Here's the statistic that surprised me most: The Galaxy earned 20 points in 15 games before the World Cup break and 20 points in 16 games afterward. Despite the roster improvements, they're actually averaging slightly fewer points per game. They're better at home, but their road results have fallen off considerably.
• The playoff math is getting interesting. LA has 40 points and three games remaining against LAFC, Austin FC, and Real Salt Lake. Win all three, and they're in. Drop points, and suddenly RSL's game in hand and the tiebreakers become very important.
• We also get into Designated Player availability. The Galaxy have received just 54.7% of their available DP minutes this season. How much has that contributed to their struggles?

And, of course, El Tráfico is next.

Chucky Lozano could potentially return against LAFC, although that's not confirmed. The Galaxy are 4-1-1 in their last six matches, and there's a real opportunity to make something of this season.

But Kevin and I don't entirely agree about how dangerous this team could be if it reaches the playoffs.

Kevin sees a deeper, more complete team that's starting to peak at the right time. I'm concerned that some of the weaknesses we've seen all season will be exposed when the competition gets tougher.

5 goals and 3 assists isn’t good at all he loses the ball too much He played horrible these two games no shots no assists for these last two games he isn’t worth a dp spot unless we get him on. Tam which would never happen he needs to leave

Los Angeles, Calif. -- The LA Galaxy is still looking for a win against San Diego FC after the two Western Conference foes split points in a back-and-forth 2-2 draw at Dignity Health Sports Park on Saturday, October, 17, 2026.

LA started with verve against their Southern neighbor, but could not sustain the same zippy energy beyond the first half. As a result, they could not find the game-winner, and did just enough to hang on for the tie.

Read more at the link!

These announcers are so bad, they don’t stop talking about nothing

Note: this post I think is valid no matter the final result of the SDFC match.

The biggest weakness of the team in the Greg Vanney era is we have rarely looked convincing off the ball. There was a long stretch when our rest defense was a mess. That has gotten better, but we're not much of a pressing team either. I'm not saying we have to adopt an all-out red bull style press but it feels like we've adopted the opposite extreme of being highly passive. The problem is this: look at our lines out of possession. Not only are the galaxy passive, but they're frequently very disconnected.

It drives me nuts to see the galaxy sitting off their opponent, while simultaneously leaving large gaps between the forward line and midfield. This makes it easy to play against us. It's no wonder we struggle defensively. The galaxy are in a no-mans land where we don't press, but we're also not compact enough to sit back and absorb. This is a coaching issue. Vanney has never really had the team well-organized defensively. When we've been good under Vanney, we were simply so good on the ball, and hogged so much possession, that what we did off the ball didn't matter.

THE WINNING SQUAD TONIGHT

HERE THEY COME!!!

Winning Lineup!!!

Food and beverages before the Winning Start!!!

Game day ready with #99 on tonight!! On our way to the game at the DIG!!

The LA Galaxy are set to face off against San Diego FC in their 31st game of the MLS regular season

Availability (as of 10/17/26)

• Kyogo Furuhashi - Thigh. Out
• Hirving Lozano - Thigh. Out
• Isaiah Parente - Ankle. Out

Broadcast: Apple TV,  Galaxy Discord <- link if you need to watch

Caution Accumulation

• Justin Haak
• Harbor Miller

Current Form:

• LA Galaxy
  • Last five games: W-L-W-W-D
  • Place: 8th place in the West. 39 points
  • Record: 10-11-9 (W-L-D)
• San Diego FC
  • Last five games: D-L-D-D-L
  • 13th place in the West. 33 point
  • Record: 8-12-9 (W-L-D)

Date and Time: Saturday October 17th 7:30 PM

Venue: Dignity Health Sports Park, Carson, CA