Marco Reus could make LA Galaxy debut on Saturday vs. Atlanta

The latest in a long line of international stars to play for the LA Galaxy could take the field for the first time on Saturday, August 24, when the five-time MLS champions host Atlanta United. Former German international Marco Reus is confirmed by the club to be available for selection in what would mark his official MLS debut.

The Galaxy signed Reus to a 2.5-year contract that was announced on the day after the MLS summer transfer deadline on August 15. According to Galaxy manager Greg Vanney on August 22, Reus was training “quite hard the last couple of days,” which makes it feasible that the player could see some action. His availability hinged on receipt of his visa, which came through on time.

The regular season match will give the Galaxy a chance to extend their lead atop the Western Conference with eight matches to play. Rivals LAFC are two points behind them in the standings, but they will be busy with the 2024 Leagues Cup final in Columbus.

How Will LA Galaxy Use Marco Reus

The midfielder joins a talented corps of attackers who are clicking

The match against Atlanta could offer the first clues as to how Vanney will integrate Reus into the Galaxy lineup without disrupting the existing chemistry that has resulted in the third-best scoring attack in MLS with 50 goals in 26 games.

The front four of Dejan Joveljic, winger Gabriel Pec, Ghanaian forward Joseph Painstil and Spanish string-puller Riqui Puig have lit up opposing defenses with their lightning-quick transitions and coordinated runs in behind.

Early speculation has focused on Puig, and whether he could move into one of the deeper midfield roles in the Galaxy’s preferred 4-2-3-1 formation. But Vanney could also eventually decide to experiment with a 4-3-3 formation and have Puig and Reus in advanced midfield roles behind a front three of Paintsil, Joveljic, and Pec. The question is whether this allows the Galaxy to remain defensively sound.

While he’s known as an attacking central midfielder, Reus has operated plenty at left wing. And at the age of 35, there’s also a potential scenario in which Reus is used as a substitute for the final eight matches and brought on to fill certain responsibilities depending on the state of the game.

“He’s a great player, and he can be versatile, he can have different roles among our group,” Vanney told the LA Times. “We’ve talked about certain areas on the pitch where we want to give him the ball, that he can help us generate our attack and that could be more in a midfield role.”

How the LA Galaxy Landed Marco Reus

German arrives after a decorated career in his native country

The experience in MLS will be the first time that Reus has featured for a club outside his home nation of Germany. He played two seasons with Rot Weiss Ahlen in the lower divisions before moving to Borussia Monchengladbach in the Bundesliga, and then earning a big transfer to powers Borussia Dortmund, where he spent 12 seasons (photo above).

Although Reus led Dortmund to two German Cups (DFB Pokal), two German Super Cups, and two Champions League finals, he has yet to win a league title in his career. As one of the favorites to win MLS Cup 2024, the Galaxy could help Reus fill that void.

The Galaxy were able to sign Reus as a free agent after his contract with Dortmund expired following the end of the 2023-24 season. Reus does not occupy one of the team’s three Designated Player (DP) spots, since the Galaxy used Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) to sign him. The Galaxy’s three Designated Players in 2024 are Paintsil, Puig, and Pec.

LA also had to compensate Charlotte FC, who held the rights to sign Reus in MLS, paying them $400,000 in General Allocation Money (GAM). But that outlay is offset by the fact that the Galaxy did not have to pay a transfer fee.

Since Reus was signed using the Targeted Allocation Money mechanism, his salary will fall between $683,750 and $1,683,750 per league rules. The MLS Players’ Association publishes salaries twice a year in May and October.