LA Galaxy: Barros Schelotto the right man to lead way
By Daniel Garza
The LA Galaxy will once again try to return to the top of MLS this season. New head coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto is the man who can take them there.
After a very disappointing end to the 2018 Major League Soccer season, the Los Angeles Galaxy have had a much better offseason. And it got a whole lot better this week.
News broke on Wednesday of the reported move of Boca Juniors manager Guillermo Barros Schelotto to the California club. Needless to say, this was a perfect way to celebrate the day after Christmas.
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Barros Schelotto brings a very successful track record with him to MLS. The former Argentinian national team and Boca Juniors player came to MLS in 2007 where he would go on to win three titles with the Columbus Crew as a midfielder.
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In his managerial career, Schelotto has won two titles with Boca Juniors and just finished his time with the club at the Copa Libertadores Final, where Boca fell to River Plate in a dramatic match that took the football world by storm. Having found success in his native Argentina, the former Columbus Crew star is back once more and this time he will take over a club who are trying to rise back to the top of the league.
The Galaxy have not been able to qualify for the MLS Cup Playoffs for two consecutive seasons. As a result, the club is quickly being overtaken as the face of the league, with Atlanta United and other clubs beginning to raise their profiles above that of the Galaxy.
If Schelotto wants to get the best start possible, he will need to ensure that the Galaxy reaches the first round of the playoffs at a minimum. They came close this year but a horrific collapse in the second half against the Houston Dynamo saw them wave goodbye to the postseason.
Schelotto, however, is the right man to lead the way for the Galaxy. He has made an impression in Argentina around the globe with one of South America’s most storied clubs. The Galaxy are in need of some extra motivation following the last two seasons. If this appointment does not get them to a next level, then the club has bigger problems than just who the identity of the head coach.
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With Zlatan Ibrahimovic returning, the Argentian manager has one of MLS’ best-returning strikers on his roster. The tools are there once more for the Galaxy to make a dent in the MLS. But can they deliver with Barros Schelotto at the helm? There’s no doubt he can, but can the players put the ghosts of the past season to rest? This will be another critical year for the club as a whole.