Will Kuntz has stepped out of John Thorrington’s shadow
There was a time when it seemed LAFC couldn’t miss in the transfer market.
With Mexican international Carlos Vela on board as a foundation piece, the club quickly stockpiled talent that would soon become the envy of the league. Bob Bradley’s 2019 Supporters Shield winning side broke the points record led by a front three of Vela, Diego Rossi and Brian Rodriguez with Eduard Atuesta anchoring the midfield and Walter Zimmerman at center back.
The 2022 season would be the turning point. Denis Bouanga transformed into a terrifying transition threat. League veterans Kellyn Acosta, Ilie Sanchez and Ryan Hollingshead came in and had a major impact. Using the city of LA and the club culture as a selling point, LAFC signed Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale on TAM deals. For the second time in four years they won the Shield before taking home the big one: MLS Cup.
A month later Will Kuntz, the man who personally recruited Giorgio Chiellini, was off to Carson.
Quietly in the shadows of the pizzazz surrounding El Trafico, behind the shenanigans on the pitch, the incredible atmosphere and the certified bangers that come standard with every match, lies one of the more compelling subplots surrounding the biggest rivalry in MLS.
Sporting his signature grey attire, LAFC general manager John Thorrington is one of the elite GMs in MLS. SVP of Soccer Ops and assistant GM Will Kuntz was well-regarded of one of the top No. 2s in the league, a bright young executive who’d found success everywhere he went. (Spoiler alert)
Like the Shaq Kobe situation, you had two ambitious personalities who wanted to be “The Guy”, and in that sense Kuntz’s departure was inevitable. The question is, how would they perform once split apart?
John Thorrington was a popular figure during MLS Cup 2022.
The 2023 season featured contrasting fortunes for both clubs. LAFC were their usual dominant selves, making three finals but failing to bring home a trophy. That being said, it’s not Thorrington’s job to win the games but to accrue the talent capable of achieving such grand heights, and in that respect he did well bringing in the likes of Matty Bogusz, Cristian Olivera and Aaron Long.
There were a few misses, particularly Mario Gonzalez who failed to impress at the No. 9 position. Stipe Buik was deemed surplus to requirements and loaned to Real Vallladolid before eventually being sold.
Saddled with too much dead weight on the roster, 2023 in Carson was about maneuvering for the future. A few future pieces in Diego Fagundez and Maya Yoshida were brought in, but with two open Designated Player spots that winter following the departures of Chicharito and Douglas Costa, the 2024 season would be Kuntz’s chance to flex his prowess as a general manager.
“Joining the LA Galaxy realizes a dream I’ve had since I first started working in MLS nine years ago.” - Will Kuntz
It’s not an exaggeration to say Kuntz has been the mastermind behind the Galaxy’s revival this season. Building on his success at LAFC, the executive ditched the previous regime’s history of signing big names and invested 20 million to bring a pair of wildly successful attacking options to LA. In all competitions Joseph Paintsil has 14g/11a while young DP signing Gabriel Pec (21g/17a) recorded 38 (!) goal contributions. They join Riqui Puig (17g/18a) and Dejan Joveljic (19g/8a) as the first quartet to record double-digit goals in regular season history.
Left back John Nelson brought rock-solid defending to the back line and is beginning to develop his attacking instincts. In tandem with Emiro Garces who’s made opposing attackers miserable with his athleticism and recovery speed, the pair have fortified a once leaky defense.
Right back Miki Yamane, another player Kuntz recruited in person, is a key component of Vanneyball. Free agent goalkeeper John McCarthy has been clutch for the Blue White and Gold and the advanced metrics agree.
All of a sudden the Galaxy become the club that doesn’t miss in the transfer market, a streak that continued with the acquisition of Marco Reus over the summer on a TAM deal. The German legend has walked into the team and provided the missing creativity that gives LA the ability to seemingly unlock opposing defenses with ease.
With most of the squad under contract, the future is certainly bright. And were it not for a last-minute slip at Houston, the Galaxy finishes atop the West.
By contrast, LAFC’s summer signings were questionable. Signing Olivier Giroud was a tremendous coup, but the Frenchman never fit into manager Steve Cherundolo’s game model.
The return of Carlos Vela was a flop, as the 35-year old logged all of four minutes in a single playoff appearance and failed to make the bench the final two games. Cherundolo didn’t exactly give Vela a ringing endorsement to return either. (The club has an option for 2025) Nottingham Forest loanee Lewis O’Brien was solid if unspectacular. Marlon had fitness issues.
Hugo Lloris, World Cup winning goalkeeper? Another big name who’s performances in net didn’t live up to his reputation. That remind you of anyone?
There were some bright spots. Omar Campos and David Martinez have a ton of potential, though that potentially has yet to be fully realized specifically with Martinez. Timothy Tillman thrived in midfield and the ageless Kei Kamara was a shrewd pickup who produced until he was inevitably replaced by Giroud in the lineup.
But despite winning the US Open Cup, LAFC’s signings were a mixed bag. It’ll be interesting to see how the Black and Gold respond this winter. Can the likely acquisition of Antoine Griezmann fix an attack that’s become less than the sum of its parts? How does Steven Cherendolo adjust his game model?
In other news, John Thorrington was just named the 2024 MLS Sporting Executive of the Year. IMO, the LAFC executive earned this award for his previous roster building in addition to his work this season.
Meanwhile, Will Kuntz is two games away from hoisting the big one.