The list of players the Galaxy have had to count on this season is a long one.
That usually happens when a team is on a successful run as the Galaxy are heading into the penultimate month of the regular season.
Defender John Nelson is one of those players.
Early in the season, Nelson’s playing time was limited, but since Julian Aude has been sidelined after hernia surgery, Nelson has started seven of the past eight games.
“He’s a stabilizer,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said of Nelson. “He’s a guy that you always know what you’re going to get every single game. He’s going to play steady, he’s going to help you keep possession, he’s going to make really good defensive plays, he’ll make the odd attacking moment, but that’s not really what he’s out there for.
“He certainly brings some stability, some experience … he understands the defensive side really well so he helps balance things off.”
Nelson joined the Galaxy as a free agent in the offseason, signing a two-year contract through the 2025 season. He spent last season with St. Louis City SC and returns there with the Galaxy on Sunday.
“Earlier in the year, I wasn’t playing as much, subbing in mostly, but that’s what Coach wants, an injury or something like and the ‘next person up’ mentality,” Nelson said. “I think I’ve done really well with that. Obviously, it helps that the team is winning and doing well, but for me personally, I think I’m doing really well.”
Nelson made 17 appearances last season for St. Louis, the club’s inaugural season in which it finished atop the Western Conference standings. This season hasn’t gone well. St. Louis fired coach Bradley Carnell in July and is in 13th place.
“I’m excited to see the boys, I’m still friends with a lot of them,” he said. “It’s been a crazy year for them, some injuries, coach changing, but they’re going to be fighting for points. They’re still pushing for a playoff spot … I’m excited and the atmosphere there is great.”
Despite being only 26, Nelson is on his fourth MLS stop with the Galaxy. Before going to St. Louis, he spent 2019-21 with FC Dallas and 2022 with FC Cincinnati.
“We knew Julian was an up-and-coming left back for us and we were going to use him in attacking, sometimes more defensive, but we needed what you might call a ‘steady Eddie,’” Vanney said. “Somebody who’s been in the league, who knows how to play in our league, who understands the different variables of each game and a guy you know what you’re going get pretty much every single day … with Julian as a young player, you still might get ups and downs. We needed a guy we could count on in each moment and I think he’s evolved a little bit with us.”
The teams met March 16, with the Galaxy rallying for a 3-3 draw thanks to 95th-minute goal by Maya Yoshida.
Due to yellow-card accumulation, the dynamic midfielder Riqui Puig will not play Sunday, serving a one-game suspension. That could mean more minutes for Marco Reus, who made his Galaxy debut last week against Atlanta United and scored a goal with an assist in 28 minutes of a victory over Atlanta United on Aug. 24.
Joseph Paintsil will depart after Sunday’s game to join the Ghanian national team for a pair of Africa Cup of Nations qualifiers during the international break. Ghana will face Angola on Sept. 5 and Niger on Sept. 9.
Paintsil has made 14 appearances with Ghana.
The Galaxy will return to action Sept. 14 in the final regular-season El Trafico against LAFC.
When: 11:45 a.m. Sunday
Where: CityPark; St. Louis, Missouri
TV: FOX/11
