LA Galaxy hire former star Vanney, coached Toronto to MLS treble

A move as predictable as any, Greg Vanney’s the new coach of the LA Galaxy.

Vanney won a Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup and one of his two MLS Cups as a player with the Galaxy, where he was a two-time MLS Best XI member.

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“I am extremely excited about the opportunity to coach the LA Galaxy,” Vanney said in a team release.

“The LA Galaxy are an iconic club with a rich history in Los Angeles, MLS and North American soccer over the last 25 years. I want to thank Dennis te Kloese, Chris Klein, Dan Beckerman and Mr. Anschutz for the opportunity to coach this team and represent a club so close to my heart. I am committed to working tirelessly for this club, our fans and Los Angeles to win a championship. I look forward to this new challenge in my career and am eager to get started.”

He resigned as Toronto FC coach in December following six seasons that saw the ex-USMNT player lead the Reds to three MLS Cup Finals -- winning one -- and a Supporters’ Shield.

The 2017 MLS Coach of the Year, Vanney also led TFC to three Canadian Championships. He’s the only manager to lead his team to an MLS treble (Supporters’ Shield, MLS Cup, and Canadian Championship or U.S. Open Cup).

The Galaxy have missed the playoffs in three of four seasons despite players like Jonathan Dos Santos and Zlatan Ibrahimovic being on the books for parts of the run.

Jona Dos Santos is still with the club as is Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, though the latter struggled mightily in his first MLS season.

Vanney, 46, could be the man to fix what ails the Galaxy and duel with LAFC boss Bob Bradley, whose son helped drive Vanney’s success in Ontario (That’s the Canadian Ontario, not the LA suburb. Keep up).

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