A Year in Review: Goalkeeper Edition 1.1 | OneFootball

After a disastrous 2023 season that saw the LA Galaxy not only win just eight games, but also failing to qualify for the playoffs, the front office made some aggressive moves. General Manager Will Kuntz decided it was time to make some changes. One change in particular affected the goalkeeper spot on the roster.

Last winter, the Los Angeles Galaxy signed goalkeeper John McCarthy to a deal. The veteran brings championship experience as he was the MLS Finals MVP in 2022 when LAFC won the title that year.

That paved the way for Jonathan Bond to depart. During his three seasons with the LA Galaxy, the team only made the playoffs one time.

In February 2024, the Western Conference high-fliers handed the starting job in goal to McCarthy. Bond went to play oversees for Waterford as he is originally from Wales.

How did that work out for the LA Galaxy?

Anytime a team can sign an impact athlete like McCarthy away from a cross-town, in-Conference rival (LAFC), that's a plus.

At 6'1'' and 31 years of age when the 2024 season started, McCarthy contributed to the team's above average start to the season. Head Coach Greg Vanney saw his team go unbeaten in the LA Galaxy's first six games.

Perhaps one of the best ways to debut for a new soccer club, especially the Los Angeles Galaxy, is to have such an incredible defensive play that it earns you a nomination for Save of the Year. In the Galaxy's first game of the season, the America-born goalkeeper preserved the 1-1 draw against Inter Miami FC.

McCarthy's first shutout (and complete sheet) came against another rival, the Seattle Sounders. The Los Angeles Galaxy never lost back-to-back games during the 2024 season, either.

Following a loss on the road to Austin FC in late April, 2-0, the Galaxy then went on a streak of six consecutive games without a loss. Four draws in a row, followed by two ties put the Galaxy on pace to eye a playoff berth.

McCarthy struggled against his former team for the first five halves between the three regular season match ups against LAFC. The LA Galaxy lost 2-1 in the first pair of contests against one another.

The third match looked like it could go that way. On September 14, down 2-0, the LA Galaxy roared back with four straight unanswered scores of their own. The 4-2 victory would also give McCarthy's new team the playoff berth they were looking for. The LA Galaxy became the first team in the MLS Western Conference to qualify for the postseason.

Of the eight losses that McCarthy played in for the team, seven of them he allowed just two goals in the match. Arguably, his worst performance as a member of the LA Galaxy came on the road against the Portland Timbers, 4-2.

This was the first and only time that Galaxy had given up more than three goals in a game all season. In the team's next three matches, McCarthy only gave up a total of four goals as the team went on a three-game win streak.

Final Grade: A

The LA Galaxy lost out on the top seed in the West by virtue of a tiebreak to LAFC. Home field advantage was highly coveted by the team as the Galaxy won all 16 regular seasons games played at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

However, being awarded the second seed worked out nicely for the LA Galaxy. In the postseason, McCarthy posted a shutout in his first playoff game playing for his second LA-based MLS team.

He followed that up by giving up one goal in the knockout game against the Colorado Rapids. A 6-2 victory in the second round against Minnesota United FC launched the Galaxy into the Western Conference Finals.

McCarthy, again, posted his second shutout of the 2024 postseason for the LA Galaxy. The 1-0 victory hurled his team into the MLS Cup Finals where the Galaxy won, 2-1.

It is safe to say that the addition of McCarthy to the Los Angeles Galaxy was a huge part of their success. With the highest scoring offense in their conference and third-best overall in the league, sometimes the defense and goalkeeping was overshadowed.

McCarthy is expected back in goal for the Galaxy for the 2025 regular season. The six-time MLS Cup Champions will open up their title defense when they host the league's newest edition, San Diego FC.