Joseph Paintsil insisted that the LA Galaxy want to end their season on a high note as they have already started to turn their attention to the 2026 campaign.

Despite winning the MLS Cup last year, the Galaxy are rock bottom of the Western Conference after winning just 21 points from 30 matches this term.

Greg Vanney’s side did manage to finish third in the Leagues Cup, but they have failed to win any of their last three MLS games.

As they prepare to face 14th-placed Sporting Kansas City in their next match, Paintsil reflected on a disappointing season.

“Winning the [MLS] Cup last year, we did everything and we gave everything. That doesn't mean that this season we didn't give everything. We are giving everything; just we don't have the results,” said Paintsil.

“As you can see, at the beginning of this season also there were also a lot of ups and downs with injuries and everything, also with new players. I'm not going to say it's because of new players or this kind of thing.

“We are just eager to just keep going, raise our heads up, focus on the next season. We are players and we need to stand and fight for each other.”

Sporting KC have struggled for form themselves recently, winning just once since a victory against the Colorado Rapids on July 4.

They come into this game off the back of a 2-0 defeat to the Vancouver Whitecaps, leaving them six points ahead of the Galaxy, having played a game more than their counterparts too.

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LA Galaxy – Joseph Paintsil

Paintsil scored his sixth regular-season goal of 2025 on Saturday, tying him with Gabriel Pec for the team lead.

The Ghanaian forward has directly contributed goals in his last three games, scoring twice and providing two assists across those matches.

Sporting Kansas City - Shapi Suleymanov

Suleymanov delivered three of Sporting KC’s five chances created against the Whitecaps, despite being subbed off in the 65th minute.

Suleymanov has been substituted out of 23 different MLS matches this season, tying him for the most times subbed off in 2025, alongside Orlando City’s Ivan Angulo.

MATCH PREDICTION – LA GALAXY WIN

Sporting KC have lost seven of their last eight matches (W1), allowing multiple goals in each match in that stretch.

The eight straight matches allowing two or more goals is the longest regular-season streak in their team history.

However, the Galaxy suffered their eighth home defeat of the 2025 regular season with a 3-2 loss to FC Cincinnati. Their eight home regular-season losses are the most in a single season by a defending champion in MLS history.

Sporting KC beat the Galaxy 1-0 when the teams met in May, and Kansas City can now hunt multiple wins against a single opponent for just the second time this season (also against Colorado). Sporting has swept the season series with the Galaxy just once over the last eight seasons (2021).

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

LA Galaxy – 56.2%

Draw – 22.6%

Sporting Kansas City – 21.2%