Galaxy look to balance optimism and frustration

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Saturday: Galaxy at Dallas, 5:30p.m., ‘How do you create a plan to make this team better?’ Then everything gets fast-forwarded a little bit because you don’t have Summer window, that means things have to happen now and we have to do the best we can to be precise and make good decisions.

“With our young players like Johnny Perez, Jalen (Neal) and those guys who are taking another step forward this year and the guys that we continue to add, I think the group will have depth, I think the group will have quality and I think there is clarity inside of what we’re doing on the field now since this is year three for a lot of guys who have been around.”

Not only is there the 34-game regular season, but teams will also compete in the expanded Leagues Cup, where MLS will pause for a month in July and into August, and the U.S. Open Cup. What’s more, the MLS Cup playoffs have expanded, with nine teams per conference advancing.

“If we stay healthy and get the pieces we’re trying to get, I feel like we have the depth to be contending in all these different competitions,” Vanney said. “There’s a lot of minutes and a lot of opportunities for our entire roster. That’s one thing that guys have to understand, if you’re not chosen one day, you have to be ready for the next one because things are coming fast.”

Consistency has been one trait the Galaxy has lacked in previous years. Vanney is looking for that to change this season.

“For us, it is continuing to take steps forward as a group,” Vanney said. “Ultimately winning a championship is another step for us. Again, competing another step further in some of these over events, competing for championships in one of these other events as well. I would like to see us in (CONCACAF) Champions League next year, I think we’re a club that should be present inside Champions League year in and year out, that should be an objective for us.

“I think we should be ultimately closer to the Supporters’ Shield race, if not at the top of the Supporters’ Shield race. I think that shows the consistency that we want to get out of our group over the course of 34 games (regular season) ... to have less ups and downs and have more consistency over the whole season.”