Preview, Matchday #5: LA Galaxy at Minnesota United FC | OneFootball

Everyone that the Los Angeles Galaxy has played thus far has a better record than them. That's because the defending MLS champs are winless and sit at the bottom of the Western Conference standings.

Saturday, the LA Galaxy travel to the capital of Minnesota to play another team that qualified for the playoffs last season. Minnesota FC upset the third seeded Real Salt Lake in the first round of the postseason in 2024.

That set up a nice but unexpected match for the Los Angeles Galaxy in last year's MLS Western Conference semifinals. This time, Minnesota looks to be a championship contender, as the LA Galaxy have just one point (via a 1-1 draw against the Portland Timbers) to boast so far in the 2025 regular season.

In the fifth MLS match of the year for the Galaxy, they will again dawn the Rizon kits when they play Minnesota on Saturday afternoon.

What's different between these two teams five months later?

Quite a bit has changed for the LA Galaxy. No longer with the team are Dejan Joveljic, Marky Delgado, Gaston Brugman and Jalen Neal.

Will Kuntz, general manager for the Los Angeles Galaxy, has added new talent in the form of Axel Essengue, Mathias Jorgenson, Elijah Wynder, Lucas Sanabria and Christian Ramirez.

Ramirez actually made his MLS debut with Minnesota in 2014. He joined the LA Galaxy following the trade of Joveljic to Sporting Kansas City.

In last year's MLS Western Conference semifinal contest, eight goals were scored between the two teams. Joseph Paintsil and Riqui Puig both played in that game and both are out with injuries.

John McCarthy is expected to start in goal again after Novak Micovic had three rough outings to start the season. The LA Galaxy went 0-0-3 in those games.

What to know about kickoff?

Saturday's game between the LA Galaxy and Minnesota United FC is available on MLS Season Pass.

Kickoff is at 1:30 p.m. (Pacific Time) and 3:30 p.m. (Central Time). This game will be played at Allianz Field in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Minnesota enters this weekend as the fifth-best team in the MLS Western Conference with a record of 2-1-1. They have scored five goals in four games thus far while allowing an average of one goal a game, too.

Tani Oluwaseyi and Kelvin Yeboah have two goals a piece to lead the team in scoring. Oluwaseyi also has recorded two assists this season already, as well.

The LA Galaxy have allowed eight goals this season. However, Micovic allowed seven of those while McCarthy was responsible for just one.

The six-time MLS Cup winners have struggled to score, unlike last season. Gabriel Pec and Ramirez are the only players to find the back of the net thus far for the Galaxy. Miguel Berry and Zanka each have tallied an assist on the year.

A victory against Minnesota would give the LA Galaxy three points and their first win of the 2025 regular season. A loss would keep Vanney's squad at the bottom of the Western Conference and help Minnesota move up.