Vote: 2022 LA Galaxy MVP

12/08/2022 05:00 PM

It’s time to name the MVP for LA Galaxy’s 2022 season

The final poll has arrived, as we once again ask your help in determining some end-of-season honors for LA Galaxy. This poll is the last one before we officially turn the page to the 2023 campaign and begin the long discussions of expectations and hopes for this side. First, let’s hand out the most prestigious honor there is, 2022 LA Galaxy MVP.

It’s only fair we start with a player who isn't only the heart and soul of this current squad, but a player who was also a finalist for the league’s MVP award for the 2022 season. Chicharito. The striker had 33 starts in 34 appearances where he tallied 18 goals, two assists, played 27 key passes and finished with a 77% pass success rate. Throughout the season it was often Chicharito who came up big, especially late in matches where Galaxy seemed to play their best football. It’s not a surprise, the Mexican International has been the main threat for the Galaxy since he arrived. While he has yet to secure the sixth MLS Cup for the Galaxy, he has gotten closer with each season. Now that he’s already inked in for the next couple of years, it’s time for him to finally bring home what fans want the most, a championship.

Chicharito may be the heart of the squad, but the catalyst this season was undoubtedly the player who arrived in the middle of the season, only to be the biggest reason for their late-season push to see the postseason. Riqui Puig had just 12 appearances with 11 starts in his first half-season with Galaxy. He finished the year with a 92% pass success rate on over 830 passes, had two assists and even scored three goals. More than that, his immediate connection with fellow attacker, Chicharito, catapulted LA from a team that was hovering just outside the playoff bubble, to a team that finished fourth in the Western Conference, and even got to host their first playoff appearance in six years. Puig will now have a full off-season to continue to build chemistry not just with Chicha, but with the entire squad. That should make a lot of you really excited for what’s to come in 2023.

I’m pretty sure most of you probably expect to hear all about Dejan Joveljic right about now. Granted, he had a great season filled with incredible moments where he proved to be one of the best super subs the league has seen. However, MVP isn't about the brief moments of heroics, but about playing throughout the entire season at an extremely high level. One player who quietly went about doing just that was Galaxy midfielder, Samuel Grandsir.

Grandsir started 21 matches of his 35 appearances. Despite not amassing a ton of starts, he most definitely made an impact no matter how long he was on the pitch. He finished the year with a 86% pass success rate, had 28 key passes, six assists, and even scored four goals. None bigger than the equalizer shortly before halftime in the Western Conference Semifinals match. Grandsir may not be the most household name on the squad, but he was definitely one of if not the most consistent throughout the season. Players like him are always great to have on a squad because you know exactly what you will get from them on a week-in week-out basis.

Three players who had great 2022 seasons with the Galaxy. Three players who are worthy of the MVP honor, but there can only be one. Now, it's up to you to decide which one is your MVP for the Galaxy in 2022.