A couple of weeks ago, Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said that Sergi Roberto would be “vital” to how the team plays heading down the stretch of the season.
“You can’t play the way I want to play the game without a midfield that is able to control the game, dictate the game,” Vanney said then. “We’ve become, over the last couple of years, a team that works from outside in, when we were once a team that worked from inside out. My hope is Sergi and the relationships he’s able to build, can give us something that’s a little different.”
After a wait for his visa, Roberto finally arrived earlier this week and the Barcelona legend is in line for his debut Saturday against San Diego FC.
“He comes in eager to just kind of understand, sort of the team and what we want to do and what we want the midfield to look like and the importance of his role inside of the group,” Vanney said. “His experience and knowledge … every step he takes out on the field is with purpose, with intention, with intelligence and it helps to create a flow and a rhythm amongst everybody else.
“I think he raises our ceiling a great deal and our capacity to dominate and control a midfield to another level.”
Roberto spent the last two seasons in Italy’s Serie A, playing at Como. He had been in the Barcelona system since he was 14 and made his first team debut in 2010 at 18 years old.
“After I left Como, we started talking with teams and Galaxy was one of the teams that, from the beginning, were showing interest about me,” Roberto said. “We’ve been in talks all the summer, and I was very excited that the Galaxy came to sign me. I’m happy to be here, very excited and very, very happy to be part of this club.
“Since I was in Barcelona, one of my dreams was always to come here to the MLS. I really like the way the sports are here in America. I think I chose the right place to be here and to enjoy this part of my career.”
Roberto joins a long list of World Cup veterans on the Galaxy with Maya Yoshida (Japan), Marco Reus (Germany) and Chucky Lozano (Mexico).
“It took 15 minutes of a scrimmage yesterday (Wednesday) to see he and Marco just kind of fall into rhythm, when one moves, the other fills the spaces and it’s just super fluid, because they’re playing with their awareness and their mind and their vision and not necessarily just running around the field,” Vanney said.
Roberto joins on a big week as the Galaxy, currently below the playoff line in 12th place (26 points), head to face San Diego FC, with Lozano getting his first chance to play against his former team. Lozano has made three appearances with the Galaxy since moving from San Diego on a loan deal through the end of the season. He wasn’t made available this week to media before the game, but he’s expected to be a big part of the story during and after Saturday’s game.
In 2025, his debut season in MLS with San Diego, Lozano had 11 goals and nine assists.
“I think it’s going to be spirited,” Vanney said of the game. “I think for Chucky, he’s focused on one thing, which is helping the team win the game and doing what he needs to do in his role and what the team needs him to do. I think he’s 100 percent focused.
“He’s a competitor, so I’m sure there’s just a little bit more in his belly that he has real intention and purpose inside of this game and wants to get something out of it. We’re all human in that regard. The whole team recognizes that as well.”
Transfer window closes Wednesday
The Galaxy have already had a busy incoming and outgoing transfer window. The window officially closes Wednesday. Galaxy general manager Will Kuntz said he expects to be busy until the close.
“I think we’ll look to probably be active, potentially right up until the deadline,” Kuntz said. “There’s probably a couple of places we feel we can improve our roster.”
Aside from Lozano and Roberto, the Galaxy have already brought in Robert Taylor and Kyogo Furuhashi, with Mauricio Cuevas, Matheus Nascimento, Gabriel Pec, Miki Yamane and Edwin Cerrillo all departing.
GALAXY at SAN DIEGO FC
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: Snapdragon Stadium; San Diego
How to watch: Apple TV