Sports

Galaxy's turnaround season reflected in Tráfico turnaround win over LAFC

Published

1 year ago

September 17, 2024

Galaxy's turnaround season reflected in Tráfico turnaround win over LAFC

You don’t have to look long or far to spot the differences between this year’s Galaxy team and last year’s.

The lineup? Eight of the 11 players the Galaxy started in Saturday’s El Tráfico win over LAFC weren’t with the team at the start of last season. The standings? The Galaxy were 13th in the 14-team Western Conference table at this point last season, this year they have the second-best record in the league and are closing in on their first conference title since 2011.

And what about their record. Last year the Galaxy won eight games all season; they’ve already won twice as many this year, clinching a playoff berth with five games left.

For coach Greg Vanney, only the numbers have changed. The team’s values, philosophy and goals, he said, have remained constant. And that consistency, a little luck and a few other things the naked eye can’t see are what has really fueled the team’s best season in a decade.

“We had to sort out our roster a little bit. But the vision for what we wanted and how we felt the team could be successful didn’t change,” he said. “A lot of things have to come together for you to have a turnaround like we did. A lot of credit [goes] to just the vision for what we wanted to do, sticking to it, and then finding the players who fit into that vision.”

Maybe. But there’s more to it than that.

Take Saturday, for example. Both teams needed a victory to improve their chances of winning the conference and securing home-field advantage in the playoffs. So when LAFC, arguably the deepest team in MLS, ran out to a 2-0 lead in the opening 15 minutes, it appeared as if that issue had been decided.

Last year’s Galaxy would have quit at that stage. And it wasn’t a consistency in the team’s vision that brought them back Saturday. It was heart, grit, determination and a few other things the naked eye can’t see.

“To get punched in the mouth, to be down two. The response just showed a lot of maturity and a lot of belief,” Vanney said.

“In my nearly four years here, this is one of the proudest moments I’ve had of this group,” he continued. “The courage they showed and the personality they showed in the second half, it was fun to watch. They came together and believed in what they are doing and believed in the mission and got it done.”

Want some more numbers? Three of the Galaxy’s four goals came in a 14-minute span early in the second half, two of them from Dejan Joveljic, who was starting for the first time in more than two months, and the other from Edwin Cerrillo, his first in MLS. Midfielder Riqui Puig, who had created zero scoring chances in his last three El Tráficos, scored the final goal to go with two assists.

“Sometimes people say ‘you don’t play a good game, you don’t make chances’,” Puig said. “But there are more things in the soccer than to make chances and to make goals. This year we have the pieces that maybe two years before, we didn’t have.

“To win the MLS [Cup], it’s very important for us.”

A year ago that was out of the question. But this year?

“We have a lot of work to do in these last [five] games,” Vanney said. “There’s a lot of things that will happen down the stretch. We’ve got a lot to do to win it, but we’ve been consistent. In order to stay in this race, you’ve got to have a consistently high level.”

Especially since the Galaxy probably haven’t seen the last of their crosstown rivals this season. The team’s last two playoff appearances ended in losses at BMO Stadium, but after Saturday’s win the Galaxy (16-6-7) have a seven-point lead over LAFC (14-7-6) atop the Western Conference table.

If the Galaxy win the West they’ll play all their conference playoff games at Dignity Health Sports Park, where they are unbeaten this season.

“After last year, you don’t take anything for granted,” Vanney said. “Now our eyes are set on we control our destiny and trying to win the West, which positions us in the playoffs in what I believe is the best possible scenario.”

For LAFC, which has played in the last two MLS Cup finals, the stretch run this year will an arduous one made all the more challenging by a loss that left it winless in its last three MLS games. Fatigue was an issue Saturday, coach Steve Cherundolo said, and the schedule only gets tougher going forward. Including this month’s U.S. Open Cup final with Sporting Kansas City, LAFC will play eight times in 31 days.

Depth, then, will be key over the next month and this week’s return of former captain Carlos Vela could bolster that.

“We’ll try to turn it around as fast as possible,” promised Cherundolo, whose team plays host to Austin on Wednesday.

⚽ You have read the latest installment of On Soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and shines a spotlight on unique stories. Listen to Baxter on this week’s episode of the “Corner of the Galaxy” podcast.

Sports

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

Published

9 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.

The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.

Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.

Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.

A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)

Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.

Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”

Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)

Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.

When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”

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Chantz Martin is a sports writer for Fox News Digital.

Sports

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

Published

10 hours ago

February 27, 2026

Press Room

Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational

William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.

“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.

Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.

Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.

“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.

He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.

“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”

It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.

Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.

This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.

Sports

Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

Published

21 hours ago

February 26, 2026

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Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway

NEWYou can now listen to Fox News articles!

Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.

McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.

A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.

WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)

“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.

“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.

No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.

In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)

Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.

McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.

He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”

“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”

Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)

State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.

“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.

“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.

An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.

The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.

After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”

Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.

McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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