The opening matchday of the 2024 MLS regular season concludes on Sunday, with Inter Miami visiting Dignity Health Sports Park for the very first time to battle the Los Angeles Galaxy.
In 2023, the Galaxy missed the playoffs for the third time in the last four seasons, while the Herons began the new season with a 2-0 victory over Real Salt Lake.
Match preview
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A slow start to the 2023 regular season ultimately became too much to overcome for the Galaxy, winning just one of their opening 10 fixtures and missing the playoffs for the fifth time over the previous seven domestic campaigns.
It did not help that they went winless in their final six MLS fixtures, while winning just one of their last six home games in the regular season.
The 2024 campaign could be a make-or-break one for Greg Vanney, who guided Toronto to the MLS Cup in 2017 but has not enjoyed much success in LA, losing at least a dozen regular season contests in each of his three years at the helm.
In 2023, the Galaxy were near the top in terms of average possession, and we can expect something similar this year, as they have plenty of dynamic chance creators with great vision and ball control.
Defensively, LA were a mess in 2023, conceding a league-high 67 goals, eight more than the next closest team in MLS (Toronto).
Their only two domestic victories last season versus Eastern Conference opponents came at Dignity Health Sports Park, defeating the Philadelphia Union in July (3-1) and the Chicago Fire (3-0) just over a month later.
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Miami began the 2024 Major League Soccer campaign on the right foot, ending a six-match winless run in this competition on Wednesday.
Tata Martino's men held RSL to just two efforts on target, collecting their first domestic clean sheet since September 2023 (4-0 win over Toronto).
Wednesday was the first time the Herons scored the opening goal in an MLS contest since September 24 (1-1 draw with Orlando City), as they are now unbeaten in their last three regular-season affairs when netting first.
The Herons won just three away fixtures in this competition a year ago, though their last one was in California against Los Angeles FC in early September (3-1).
Inter Miami conceded three or more goals away from home five times in this competition a year ago while giving up multiple strikes on eight occasions.
They have gone on to win their last 11 MLS affairs when leading at the interval, a run that dates all the way back to August 2022.
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Team News
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It was a busy off-season for the Galaxy, signing Miki Yamane, a three-time Best XI in the J1 League in Japan, while also adding Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, along with former MLS Cup champion John McCarthy.
LA parted ways with their prolific goalscorer Chicharito, who is back in Mexico with Chivas, while Tyler Boyd was traded to Nashville SC.
Canadian full-back Raheem Edwards was dealt to CF Montreal, opening the door for Julian Aude to start, while Douglas Costa returned to Brazil, joining Fluminense.
Corentin Jean, Franco Negri and Ian Fray were all sidelined for the Herons in their season opener on Wednesday because of ACL injuries.
Martino made three changes to his starting 11 from the side that began their friendly with Newell's Old Boys with Serhiy Kryvtsov, Sergio Busquets and Robert Taylor coming into the lineup in place of Nicolas Freire, Yannick Bright and David Ruiz.
Taylor scored the opening goal for Miami on matchday one, with Lionel Messi collecting his first assist of the new campaign, while Luis Suarez set up Diego Gomez for their second goal in the regular season debut for the Uruguayan, and Drake Callender made two saves for the clean sheet.
Los Angeles Galaxy possible starting lineup:
McCarthy; Yamane, Yoshida, Neal, Aude; Brugman, Delgado; Puig; Paintsil, Joveljic, Pec
Inter Miami possible starting lineup:
Callender; Yedlin, Allen, Freire, Alba; Gressel, Busquets, Gomez; Messi, Suarez, Taylor
We say: Los Angeles Galaxy 1-2 Inter Miami
There are still question marks on the LA backline, and that could spell trouble for them this weekend, having to face a side in Miami that have their share of top-class finishers.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Joel Lefevre
