A lot has changed since the last time the Galaxy hosted a capacity crowd.
The roster has been overhauled, the coaching staff is new and, so far, things are looking good.
On Saturday night, for the first since last season’s home opener on March 7, 2020, Dignity Health Sports Park will be open for a capacity crowd as the Galaxy returns to play against the Seattle Sounders (6 p.m., SPSN).
The Sounders are 5-0-3 and in first place in the Western Conference with 18 points.
“I think it’s going to be awesome,” Galaxy midfielder Sebastian Lletget said. “I think it’s going to be a sellout crowd and I’m sure everybody’s excited just to be all together again and feel the energy. Hopefully, we can give our fans a win.”
Earlier this season, Greg Vanney said he wanted the Galaxy to re-establish its dominance on its home field. Entering Saturday night, the Galaxy is 4-0 at home – 5-2 overall with 15 points – and now comes the chance to compete with the home crowd behind them.
To commemorate the return of fans, the Galaxy will hold pregame Welcome Home Tailgate, starting at noon. Home attendance had been capped at 7,193 so far this season.
“My estimation here is the guys are going to be very excited to be back in front of the energy that’s going to be in the stadium,” Vanney said. “That’s going to have them kind of amped up, so it’s important that we play smart at the beginning, we don’t get too many numbers going high, we don’t get too drawn into the game. We have to play with discipline and we have to play a smart game against a very good team.”
The Galaxy has been off since May 29, due to the international break. Some players have had time off while some joined their national team for international duties. Now comes the restart, which will be challenging.
“Through the course of our build-up to this (game), we tried to add in some 11 v. 11, some competitive moments just to try to keep the rhythm of things, but nothing is like playing,” Vanney said.
The Galaxy will play three games in eight days, with a trip Wednesday to Salt Lake to face Vancouver and a June 26 match at San Jose.
“We try to look at it in the best way possible … look at the bright side of the situation,” Galaxy star Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez said. “Sometimes these breaks can help teams that have been struggling. Sometimes there are going to be teams in good form and a break will affect them. It’s up to us mentally and emotionally that we can maintain the consistency we showed in the first seven games we played.
“It’s going to be complicated, but we are thinking in the most positive and confident way and hopefully we can do our best.”
Of the Galaxy’s first seven games this season, one of the low points was the first meeting against the Sounders. In the third game of the season, the Galaxy traveled to Seattle and suffered a 3-0 defeat.
“They make mature decisions,” Vanney said of Seattle. “They usually don’t make many little mistakes that cost them. When they’re absorbing pressure, they’re capable of absorbing those moments, not giving up goals, getting something in own their counter-attack. And all of a sudden, the game looks completely different than it did just a few minutes ago.
“The way they’re playing this year, they’re hard to break down, they haven’t given up many goals (three). You have to go beat them, they’re not going to beat themselves and that puts a lot of onus on us, or the teams that play them to have to play well and to have to really earn the win. Right now, they’re one of the teams we’re going to have to get through to have any chance of being a championship contender.”
Seattle at Galaxy
When: Saturday, 6 p.m.
Where: Dignity Health Sports Park
TV: Spectrum SN
