The Galaxy will open their 2025 season Sunday against the expansion San Diego Football Club, trying to extend a 21-game undefeated streak at Dignity Health Sports Park, including winning the MLS Cup.
The Galaxy was 17-0-4 across all competitions at Dignity Health Sports Park in 2024, winning each of their final 15 games, including a 2-1 victory over the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup on Dec. 7, outscoring opponents 45-19.
The Galaxy will be without both goal scorers from that Dec. 7 contest.
Joseph Paintsil, who scored nine minutes into the game, is sidelined with a quad injury. Dejan Joveljic, who scored in the 13th minute, signed a three-year designated player contract with Sporting Kansas City on Feb. 1 for a transfer fee of $4 million in the first cash-for-player trade in the history of MLS, which began play in 1996.
Gastón Brugman, the 2024 MLS Cup MVP who assisted on Paintsil’s goal, was traded to the Nashville Soccer Club on Dec. 19 in exchange for midfielder Sean Davis, who was waived by the Galaxy on Wednesday.
Two other players among the 14 who played for the Galaxy in the 2024 MLS Cup were also traded in the off-season — starting midfielder Mark Delgado to the Los Angeles Football Club and defender Jalen Neal, who entered the game four minutes into second-half stoppage time, to CF Montréal on Jan. 6.
The Galaxy’s best player, midfielder Riqui Puig, remains sidelined after suffering a torn anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during the second half of the Western Conference Final on Nov. 30. He continued to play for more than 30 minutes and provided the game-winning assist on Joveljic’s 85th-minute goal in the 1-0 victory over Seattle Sounders FC.
Newcomers to the Galaxy include Danish National Team defender Zanka, acquired from the Belgian Pro League side RSC Anderlecht.
“The challenges are going to be different in terms of sometimes how teams approach us,” coach Greg Vanney said Friday in his final meeting with reporters before the game. “It’s going to be a different road to success this year.”
SDFC is led by forwards Hirving “Chucky” Lozano and Anders Dreyer. Both are designated players, meaning their salaries are not counted against the salary cap.
The 29-year-old Lozano played for Mexico in the 2018 and 2022 FIFA World Cups. He began his professional career as an 18-year-old in 2014 with Pachuca of Mexico’s Liga MX. He signed with PSV Eindhoven of the Dutch first division in 2017, Napoli of Italy’s Serie A in 2019 and returned to PSV Eindhoven in 2023.
San Diego FC acquired Lozano as its first designated player on June 6, 2024, reached an agreement with PSV Eindhoven to transfer him to SDFC on Jan. 1 and signed him to a four-year contract through the end of the 2028 MLS season with two option years.
The 26-year-old Dreyer was acquired by SDFC on Jan. 22 on a permanent transfer from RSC Anderlecht of the Belgian Pro League. The Dane began his professional career in 2017 as an 18-year-old with Esbjerg fB of the Danish Superliga.
Dreyer later played for St Mirren of the Scottish Premiership, Heerenveen of the Dutch first division, Midtjylland of the Danish Superliga and FC Rubin Kazan of the Russian Premier League.
San Diego’s roster also includes midfielder Alejandro Alvarado Jr., who trained in the Galaxy Academy from 2016-21 and scored one goal in 12 games for the Galaxy’s reserve team, the Galaxy II.
“It’s a tough task to go up against MLS Cup champions in your first game in history after only five weeks of training, but I see no better way to start our history,” coach Mikey Varas said Friday in his final meeting with reporters before the game.
“Let’s go against the best right off the bat, baptism by fire and see where we stand.”
The sold-out 4 p.m. game will be streamed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.