Why Douglas Costa is not working out for the LA Galaxy

The Galaxy season has been a disappointment, especially when considering the expectations and pedigree of the club. Though it's unfair to pin a team's fortunes on just one person, one of the biggest underperformers for the Gs this season is Brazilian winger Douglas Costa. Having your designated players perform well is a key to success in Major League Soccer, and the 32-year-old's contributions this season are simply not on a DP level. 

During early January, Costa was reportedly talking to executives of Brazilian soccer clubs, specifically Flamengo and Grêmio. Costa is currently in the final year of his contract, and with his start to the 2023 being inadequate — and you can cite poor performances on the pitch plus earning a straight red card for pulling down Houston Dynamo midfielder Brooklyn Raines on Matchday 7 – perhaps Costa's time in MLS is winding down. 

Riqui Puig and Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez are impacting the game in different ways to help the LA Galaxy get out of this poor form this season. Puig is running the midfield with his dribbling ability, quick movements, and deep playmaking abilities. Chicharito’s addition to the starting XI is affecting the opposing backline as his gravity on defenders is a factor Dejan Joveljić couldn’t replicate in his starts early this season.

Costa’s been a Galaxy player for 14 months and there honestly not much to show for it. In 31 games played, he’s registered four goals and one assist, and all four of those goals have come from set pieces. Costa's shown some flashes of brilliance but he's not consistent with his contributions.

As depressing as it might be, let’s examine why his impact on the Galaxy has been minimal since joining the club.

Work rate issues 

When he was acquired by the Galaxy, Costa was 31 years old and was coming off a poor season with Grêmio in Brazil. He dealt with a broken foot during the 2021 season, and health issues lingered in his first season with the Galaxy. Costa was getting game time, but injuries would pop up and cause him to start in 18 of the 29 games he appeared in during the 2022 MLS season. Heading into 2023, a calf injury forced him to miss almost all of the preseason plus the first four matches of the campaign.

In late March, Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney praised Costa’s fitness levels, comparing it to his prime years with Bayern Munich. During that time, Costa was known for his pace and ability to carry the ball at his feet. That was in 2016, though. Seven years past that point, the Brazilian doesn’t have that same darting pace and his work rate has gone down tremendously.

In his first start of the season against Orlando, Costa's lack of movement of the ball was extremely noticeable. Most wingers aren’t very active off the ball, but while the Galaxy was attacking, he was not running with the rest of the forwards. Take a look at this clip where the Galaxy is building up and moving forward with the ball. Chicharito is way out of position yet he runs past Costa jogging into the final third. With their main striker starting way behind the play, it was surprising to see the Brazilian not add support for the attack.

Vanney’s system relies on possession and is at its best when in transition. To achieve that, there needs to be pace and movement off the ball. Costa isn’t going to make vertical runs and run in behind consistently, but appears to exclusively want the ball at his feet. That poor work rate adds up to Costa being limited when the ball is not at his feet and even a liability at times. 

On-the-ball limits 

During the 2022 season, Costa was extremely predictable when on the ball in the final third. He would cut inside and operate in the half-space. He loves to get on his strong left foot to shoot or pick out a pass. Considering the Galaxy have multiple players with that playing style, it’s redundant and even holding the team back in their attacks.

LA has struggled all season long to replace the impact of Kevin Cabral and Samuel Grandsir. Their directness and consistency to make runs behind the last defender were key to causing problems for their opponents, even if they weren't finishing. Douglas Costa was never brought in to be that type of player and the Galaxy’s inability to acquire a winger with those attributes makes it more difficult to replicate that formula. Tyler Boyd has provided pace and stretch since his arrival, but his consistency in that role is lacking. Efraín Álvarez and Memo Rodriguez both struggled to add width as the pair both cut inside often like Costa.

Due to cutting in often, Vanney has instructed a fullback to get forward and add that width. That was seen with Julian Araujo in 2022, and now Calegari has played higher up the field than usual in Costa's first start of the season. If that tactic is going to be played, Costa needs to be ready to cover for the right back, but Vanney has helped with that by making Mark Delgado roam on the right to be ready to cover and break up transitions from the opposition. 

During his days at Bayern, Costa could make the runs down the touchline and whip in crosses. He's got a great weak foot and is comfortable playing any ball with his right. That theoretically can lead to better chances for the Galaxy and keep the defense on their toes whenever Costa drives into the box. He's going to look to beat a player on the dribble to create his space; it's not a guarantee every time, but that creativity would serve the Gs during games. 

It's going to be difficult for Costa to change his game and be more direct. Teams will give him space to tempt him into taking a low-percentage shot or cross into the box. Vanney's going to need to really assess whether or not Costa's current role can bring success or if it's going to keep killing attacks. Which leads to what his best role for the club could be ... 

Is he a super sub now? 

Although it’s not the ideal situation considering he’s a DP, Costa’s best role since joining the Galaxy has been off the bench. His off-the-ball work rate and the spaces he occupies make it really difficult for him to create goals and assists. Vanney has played with a 3-5-2 multiple times this season instead of sticking with the 4-3-3 he’s used for the previous two years. With Costa’s work rate, he can’t play out wide because he will struggle to track wide players — especially if he gets up high up the pitch.

Costa is one of the most technical players on the roster. It’s really easy to see the way controls the ball at his feet and his technique on his shots and passes. It’s unfortunate his starts don’t show the best of his abilities, as he’s often looked out of sync with the rest of the team.

Off the bench, though, the Brazilian has looked very promising and has shown flashes of what the LA Galaxy we’re expecting from him. Costa can be more in his element facing defensive units with tired legs, especially when the Galaxy's searching for a goal. That would allow Costa to be in his element. With more spaces opening up in the second half, Costa can drive with the ball and his playmaking can shine. In 30 minutes against Austin FC, for example, he recorded three chances created and was dictating the tempo of the game when he was on the ball — a welcome contrast with his form in other matches this season. 

By putting Costa in a super sub role, the Galaxy could get its best performances out of Costa. He's getting a guaranteed compensation of $4,508,333 last year, 6th among active MLS players according to the MLSPA salary guide. While it's underwhelming to slot someone making starter's money in a super sub role, it's even more underwhelming to get subpar performances from a starter. 

Costa was a major investment for the Galaxy and his experience was expected to elevate the ceiling of the team when he arrived. But it wasn't until the club acquired Puig in the transfer window last summer that the club played to its potential. Costa still has time to change his legacy with the club for the better and show the quick and creative soccer he's capable of performing. 

Until then, boos may continue to rain when his name is announced at Dignity Health Sports Park — and while we don't necessarily endorse that, we certainly understand why it's happening.