LA Galaxy lose young defender to an Eastern Conference foe | OneFootball

Last month, the Los Angeles Galaxy did not waste time reshaping their roster. First, they initiated a trade with Nashville SC sending midfielder Gaston Brugman to the East for veteran midfielder Sean Davis.

As it turns out, Brugman is not the only star for the Galaxy that will not be returning for the 2025 MLS season with the team. On Monday, CF Montreal acquired center back Jalen Neal.

The 21-year-old was a part of the championship roster in 2024 when the LA Galaxy won their sixth title in a record tenth appearance in the MLS Finals.

Word is not yet regarding who the Los Angeles Galaxy will be taking on in the deal. However, General Manager Will Kuntz is shipping Neal off to Canada to continue his career in MLS elsewhere.

What the Galaxy will miss with the departure of Neal

The Lakewood, California native has been a member of the LA Galaxy since 2021. In his first two seasons. Neal did not take the field for the main roster.

He finally made his debut in the 2022 season. A year later is when he scored the only goal in his professional career. Neal was the only player for the Galaxy to score in the 2-1 loss against the Seattle Sounders that game.

The young center back appeared in 34 regular season games for the LA Galaxy between the 2023 and 2024 seasons. He started all but six of them.

Neal was primed to take over some more responsibility and playing time with aging stars on the Galaxy's defensive line. Captain Maya Yoshida is 36 years old and Martín Cáceres is 37. Both Eriq Zavaleta and Miki Yamane are also in their 30's.

This leaves Julian Aude, Mauricio Cuevas, and John Nelson as the only members of the LA Galaxy that are under 30 years old from the regular active roster from last season.

With Neal leaving the Galaxy for Montreal, Head Coach Greg Vanney may look to plug in 17-year-old Harbor Miller who is on the radar within the organization.

This could also open the door for Igor Jesus to officially join the roster. The Estrela player is a dual threat from midfield and the defensive line. So is the first-round pick, Jason Bucknor, who was drafted in December after playing for the Michigan Wolverines.

It is sad to see Neal leave the Los Angeles Galaxy. This was the only team that he ever called home. However, the US Mens' National Team is still lucky to have Neal.