CARSON, Calif. – Dominic Kinnear will return to head coaching on Saturday when the LA Galaxy take on Toronto FC in a match loaded with playoff implications.
Kinnear was appointed interim head coach on Monday after Sigi Schmid stepped down from the role. The third-winningest manager in league history, Kinnear won titles a pair of MLS Cup titles with the Houston Dynamo in 2006 and 2007.
The Galaxy interim boss last managed in 2017 with the San Jose Earthquakes, and the question remains: what will Kinnear’s team look like?
“The game has changed a little bit. I always had this reputation of being a strict 4-4-2 manager which was far from the truth in my last couple years,” Kinnear said. “It all depends on the health of your squad, first and foremost, and what you can and cannot put out there,” explained Kinnear. “We have been battling injuries over the past couple of weeks, as everyone should know by the players missing on the field.
“The only thing I demand from the players, as any coach does, is when you step across that line, you’re focused, you’re working hard to do one thing: to help your team win the game. And that’s it.”
No matter how he lines up the squad, Kinnear will demand his squad play with pride and urgency, starting with Saturday’s match against Toronto FC.
"I think everyone knows the urgency of the situation," he said. "We don’t have the coach we started the season with; we have six games left, we still have a chance to make the playoffs, and they have to be professional about it, put any emotions aside and get back to working hard to hopefully prepare well and win the game on Saturday."
