LA Galaxy, St. Louis City Search for First Win in Early-Season Offensive Struggles

Galaxy and St. Louis City Aim for First Goals and First Wins

The LA Galaxy are in an unexpected slump to start the 2025 MLS season, struggling to find any sort of offensive rhythm. Injuries have ravaged their roster, and through two league matches and one CONCACAF Champions Cup game, they’ve managed just one goal.

Their opponent on Sunday, St. Louis City, has also failed to score this season—but for entirely different reasons. While their offense has been stagnant, their defense has been flawless, earning consecutive scoreless draws to open the campaign.

Both teams enter this match with something to prove, making this a crucial early-season battle.

Galaxy’s Championship Hangover and Attacking Woes

Coming off their record-setting sixth MLS Cup title in 2024, the Galaxy’s start to 2025 has been anything but smooth. With multiple key departures in the offseason and early injuries to playmaker Riqui Puig (knee) and forward Joseph Paintsil (quad), LA has struggled to generate chances.

So far, they’ve lost all three of their matches this season:

• 1-0 loss to CS Herediano (Champions Cup)
• 2-1 loss to Vancouver Whitecaps (MLS)
• 2-0 loss to expansion San Diego FC (MLS opener)

Their lone goal came in the loss to Vancouver, scored by Gabriel Pec. Head coach Greg Vanney has emphasized patience, but he knows his squad needs to start finishing opportunities.

“I thought we put together the chances that we needed, but we’ve got to bury them,” Vanney said after the loss to Herediano. “We’ve got to be more clinical in the final action.”

St. Louis City: Strong Defense, Struggling Attack

St. Louis City has started the season with back-to-back 0-0 draws, including last weekend’s match against San Diego FC.

Defensively, they’ve been rock solid. Goalkeeper Roman Burki has had little work to do, needing to make just one save in two matches thanks to the strength of the backline.

However, head coach Olof Mellberg wants to see more from his attack.

“I thought we lost the ball too easily and too quickly, and that’s what made us defend for long periods of time,” Mellberg said. “We need to improve our buildup and have more options so we don’t end up defending most of the game.”

Key Players to Watch

LA Galaxy

• Gabriel Pec – The only Galaxy player to score this season, he’ll need to step up in the absence of Puig and Paintsil.
• Dejan Joveljic – Expected to be the focal point of the attack but has yet to find the back of the net.
• Douglas Costa – A veteran who can provide creativity and playmaking in a struggling offense.

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St. Louis City

• Roman Burki – The defensive leader will look for his third consecutive clean sheet.
• Eduard Löwen – The team’s most creative midfielder, he needs to provide more attacking spark.
• João Klauss – The Brazilian striker has yet to score but remains the team’s best goal-scoring threat.

Recent History and What’s at Stake

The Galaxy are winless in their last four home matches, including last season’s playoffs. A win would not only get their season back on track but would prevent them from falling into a deeper early-season hole.

For St. Louis City, another scoreless draw would be respectable, but they’ll need to start scoring if they want to be a serious contender in the West.

Keys to the Match

For LA Galaxy:

• Improve finishing—getting into attacking positions hasn’t been the issue, but execution has.
• Control possession—limiting St. Louis City’s counterattacks will be key.
• Avoid defensive mistakes—early season errors have already cost them goals.

For St. Louis City:

• Convert chances—creating offense must be the priority.
• Continue defensive organization—Burki and the backline have been nearly perfect.
• Avoid early turnovers—losing possession too easily has forced them into too much defending.

Final Prediction

Both teams have yet to win this season, and with both struggling to find the net, this could be another low-scoring affair. However, the Galaxy’s home-field advantage and desperation for points could give them the edge.

Prediction: LA Galaxy 1, St. Louis City 0.