Like so many youth soccer players, Troy Elgersma was obsessed with juggling records, counting every touch of the ball before it hit the ground. So when he asked Landon Donovan at a panel at the University of Redlands for the LA Galaxy and US Men’s National Team star’s juggling record, he was elated to find out his personal best of more than 300 juggles was higher than Donovan’s “like 200” he answered with.
“I was bragging to everyone saying I had a better juggling record than Landon. I remember growing up watching him a lot and being inspired because he’s from Redlands like me,” Elgersma told LAGalaxy.com. “[Now] I see why he answered that way.”
From watching Donovan and David Beckham from the stands as a kid in 2010 for the first time, Elgersma knew he wanted to play for the Galaxy. It was a long path, both literally and figuratively, from Redlands, California, to do so.
“I played for Pateadores but lived in Redlands. That was like an hour 20-minute drive every day to practice so that was really difficult,” Elgersma said. “When I was 17, 18, all my teammates were committing to these big colleges and I felt left behind.”
Elgersma went to American University in Washington D.C. for four years, playing a multitude of positions with great success, leading the team in goals his senior year and the league in assists his junior season. His comfortability playing in different positions has made him a key addition to the Galaxy squad.
“He's a hard-working kid, blue collar kid. Runs hard. Works hard. He's got a ton of energy,” LA Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney said of Elgersma. “He's a kid who has played like every position. Literally he's played nine, wing; growing up he's played full back, midfield, every position. He's a good soccer player, so he's going to grow with opportunity. We'll figure out what's the best place for him, but right now we are using him everywhere because that's where we're at.”
Despite his collegiate accomplishments across four years, he went undrafted in the MLS SuperDraft, Elgersma tried out at various clubs before landing a deal with the LA Galaxy’s second team in February 2026. Soon after, he received his first short-term loan to the Galaxy’s first team, sitting on the bench at Toluca FC in the Concacaf Champions Cup. That followed another short-term loan, and then another. Three loans. No minutes. But that didn’t knock him down.
“From the sideline everything looks faster, you’re just kind of taking that in. You’re looking at a position that you might sub in at and you’re observing how that’s going. It was a bit of a bummer not to play those first games but I think it’s really important to learn and be on that sideline and to prepare you for when you do go in to make an impact.”
After he received his fourth and final short-term loan on May 1, he finally saw MLS action, subbing on in the 90th minute of the Galaxy’s home match against the Vancouver Whitecaps. That stint led to a contract with the first team. And on July 22, Elgersma subbed on against St. Louis CITY SC in the 74th minute. Twelve minutes later, he had his moment.
After a run down the wing by Harbor Miller, the ball fell to Elgersma in the penalty area, and he smashed a first-time left-footed strike into the bottom corner.
“I have a lot of respect for [Troy] because I know that he always brings that [energy] every single day and I can see it on the training field,” Miller said after the game. “It was an honor that, one of my closest friends in the locker room as well, that I get to give a quote/unquote assist for him.”
It was a full-circle moment for Elgersma, who looked up to his parents in the stands he once sat in, now celebrating with them as he was the goalscorer.
“That emotion was insane. I was so excited I couldn’t contain it,” Elgersma said. “I looked to my family and I gave them a heart. It was a really cool moment for me.”
