The Los Angeles Galaxy recently reached a new nadir, suffering a devastating 7-0 loss to the New York Red Bulls on Saturday. This result solidifies their place in history for the wrong reasons: it is officially the worst start ever recorded by a defending MLS Cup champion, with the team failing to secure a single victory across their first 12 matches of the season.
Remarkably, this match was a rematch of the 2024 MLS Cup final, which the Galaxy had won. The outcome serves as a stark illustration of how far they have declined. The Red Bulls` dominant seven-goal triumph not only tied the largest margin of victory in a rematch but also marked only the second time in their history, and the first since 2016, that they have scored seven goals in a single game.
Through their opening 12 fixtures this campaign, the Galaxy languish at the bottom of the Western Conference standings. Their defensive record is particularly concerning, having conceded a league-high 28 goals. Adding to their woes, Gregg Vanney`s side has struggled significantly in attack, netting a mere eight goals, the second-lowest tally across the entire MLS.
While the absence of star midfielder Riqui Puig due to an ACL injury at the start of the season was expected to present challenges, the roster includes prominent players such as Marco Reus, Gabriel Pec, and Joseph Paintsil. Given this offensive talent, goalscoring was not anticipated to be such a major issue for the Galaxy. In a league governed by a salary cap, roster turnover after a championship is common and can sometimes lead to a weaker squad. However, the Galaxy`s current struggles run deeper; their expected goals (xG) figure is only 12.93, indicating that the problem isn`t merely failing to convert chances, but rather a fundamental inability to create meaningful scoring opportunities in the first place.
To put the Galaxy`s situation into perspective, let`s look at some other historically poor starts by defending champions in other major sports leagues in the United States:
NFL: Los Angeles Rams (2022-23)
Following their Super Bowl LVI victory in 2022, the Los Angeles Rams` 2022-23 season began poorly with a 3-6 record. After winning two of their initial three games, they entered a steep decline, ultimately winning only five games for the season and failing to reach the playoffs, finishing third in the NFC West. This season was significantly impacted by injuries, notably quarterback Matthew Stafford being limited to just nine appearances.
While their struggles weren`t as severe as the Galaxy`s current predicament, this 3-6 start after nine games tied for the worst record by a reigning Super Bowl champion at that point in the season.
MLB: Florida Marlins (1998)
In Major League Baseball, the benchmark for the worst start by a defending champion belongs to the 1998 Florida Marlins (now the Miami Marlins). After winning the 1997 World Series, the team underwent a significant roster fire sale, including trading star outfielder Moises Alou to the Houston Astros. They opened their 1998 campaign with a dismal 1-9 record and finished the season with a final record of 54 wins and 108 losses.
