Galaxy season preview: Top questions for the MLS champs

• February 22, 2025

It was just Dec. 7 when the Galaxy made it back to the top of Major League Soccer, winning their sixth MLS Cup.

Almost three months later, the Galaxy, with a significantly different roster with several key pieces moved, kick off the 2025 season at home against expansion team San Diego FC.

Will the Galaxy be able to navigate through a busier schedule with Leagues Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup. No MLS Cup champion has won back to back since the Galaxy in 2011-12.

The Galaxy made the big jump from 13th place to MLS Cup champion, but are not the same team heading into the new season.

Here is a look at some questions facing the Galaxy as the quest for a seventh MLS Cup begins:

How will the Galaxy replace Riqui Puig?

Puig, who suffered an ACL injury in the Western Conference final, will be sidelined until late in the season. Even then it will be uncertain how much he will be able to contribute. Puig turn in an MVP-type season in his second full MLS campaing. He had 13 goals with 15 assists, engineering the Galaxy attack. “There’s nobody in our league like Riqui,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said last season. To fill the void, look for Diego Fagundez, Elijah Wynder, Marco Reus and Ruben Ramos Jr. to get time in the attacking midfield role, with Lucas Sanabria also factoring in. Fagundez said he’s ready to have a big season. What the Galaxy is able to get out of Reus will be another important factor. He made 11 appearances last season for 534 minutes. He only played in only one preseason game as they slowly built him up for competition.

Who picks up the scoring for Dejan Joveljić?

The “Killa P’s” as they’re called (Puig, Joseph Paintsil and Gabriel Pec) all scored at least 10 goals and added 10 assists. Add in Joveljić and the Galaxy had four players with at least 10 goals, the first time in league history. Joveljić scored 21 goals across all competitions, but was moved to Sporting Kansas City for $4 million to ease the Galaxy’s salary cap pressure. In addition to Puig’s injury, Paintsil (quad) is out for a few weeks. How will they score? The Galaxy acquired SoCal native Christian Ramirez in a trade with Columbus Crew (51 goals in MLS career). As he’s shown, he’s more than capable of contributing goals. Pec is still around, but without Puig, Joveljić and Paintsil, teams will try to take away the space that he had last season.

Could roster depth be a concern?

Along with the 34-game regular-season marathon, the Galaxy will also be competing in Leagues Cup and CONCACAF Champions Cup, which begins in March. Gone are Joveljić, Mark Delgado, Jalen Neal, Gaston Brugman and Martín Cáceres, all who played important roles in the championship run. The Galaxy added defender Mathias “Zanka” Jorgensen, midfielders Wynder and Sanabria, forwards Ramirez and Matheus Nascimento. Plus, defender Ascel Essengue has been moved up from Galaxy II. Sanabria and Nascimento will be playing catch-up after arriving late. With the extended absences of Puig and Paintsil and with the crowded fixture list, the Galaxy will have to lean on a lot of pieces to navigate through the season. There’s also the possibility of summer departures with Pec’s and Julian Aude’s name on the radar of teams in Europe and South America. The Galaxy always had a replacement ready for an injury last season (Fagundez for Puig, John Nelson for Julian Aude).

Who starts at goalkeeper?

At the start of preseason, Vanney said he was going to have to make a tough decision at goalkeeper with returning starter John McCarthy, last year’s backup Novak Mićović and newly acquired CJ Marcinkowski. In preseason, Mićović’s time has been with the expected starting backline. McCarthy is the final year of a two-year contract. Mićović is younger and has shown flashes in his limited time last year and again in the preseason. He is under contract through 2026. Friday, Vanney said the decision has been made, but didn’t share it with the media. The guess here is that Mićović takes over in goal.

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County scores and player stats for Saturday, Feb. 22

• February 22, 2025

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Scores and stats from Orange County games on Saturday, Feb. 22

Click here for details about sending your team’s scores and stats to the Register.

The deadline for submitting information is 10:45 p.m. Monday through Friday and 10 p.m. Saturday.

SATURDAY’S SCORES

GIRLS WATER POLO

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Finals

OPEN DIVISION

Oaks Christian 7, Newport Harbor 5

DIVISION 4

San Dimas 9, Troy 2

DIVISION 5

El Dorado 16, Santa Paula 4

GIRLS SOCCER

CIF-SS PLAYOFFS

Semifinals

DIVISION 6

Whittier Christian 1, Segerstrom 0 (sudden-death OT)

Goal: (WC) Gravitt

BASEBALL

NONLEAGUE

Costa Mesa 4, Sunny Hills 0

CM: (W, Simmonds 5IP 5H 0R 4K). Rottschafer 3B, RBI. Clark 1-3, 2RBI. Navarro 2-3. Dever 3B.

SOFTBALL

HUNTINGTON BEACH/PACIFICA FIRST PITCH TOURNAMENT

Pacifica 6, Notre Dame/Sherman Oaks 5

Huntington Beach 13, Chino Hills 3

CYPRESS TOURNAMENT

Villa Park 8, Irvine 0

Kennedy 10, Irvine 1

Cypress 3, Granada Hills Charter 1

SAVANNA SHOWCASE

Capistrano Valley 6, Trabuco Hills 4

Capistrano Valley 11, Troy 0

Fullerton 11, Santa Fe 1

Marina 14, Long Beach Wilson 0

Rosary 11, El Dorado 0

Whittier Christian 6, St. Paul 2

Southlands Christian 14, Savanna 2

Newport Harbor 11, Costa Mesa 1

Yorba Linda 10, Segerstrom 3

BONITA TOURNAMENT

La Habra 6, Grand Terrace 3

NONLEAGUE

Buena Park 7, Ocean View 0

Oxford Academy 12, Calvary Chapel/Downey 2

​ Orange County Register 

Citizen Bull, Barnes among San Felipe Stakes nominees

• February 22, 2025

Bob Baffert-trained horses dominate nominations for the $300,000, Grade II San Felipe Stakes at Santa Anita on March 1, including Robert B. Lewis Stakes winner and runner-up Citizen Bull and Rodriguez and San Vicente Stakes 1-2 finishers Barnes and Romanesque.

Michael McCarthy-trained Los Alamitos Futurity winner Journalism and John Shirreffs’ impressive maiden winner Baeza also are among the 14 nominees posted Saturday for the 1 1/16-mile race, the last 3-year-old stakes at the Arcadia track before the April 5 Santa Anita Derby, the West Coast prep for the May 3 Kentucky Derby.

The San Felipe is one of four graded stakes on the March 1 card, headed by the $300,000, Grade I Santa Anita Handicap. Ten nominees for the Big ’Cap include 2022 winner Express Train, recent Grade II winners JB Strikes Back and Katonah, and out-of-state stakes winners Hit Show and Locked.

​ Orange County Register 

Pope Francis is in critical condition after long respiratory crisis, requiring oxygen at high flow

• February 22, 2025

By NICOLE WINFIELD and SILVIA STELLACCI

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis was in critical condition Saturday after he suffered a long asthmatic respiratory crisis that required high flows of oxygen, the Vatican said.

The 88-year-old Francis, who has been hospitalized for a week with pneumonia and a complex lung infection, also received blood transfusions after tests showed low counts of platelets, which are needed for clotting, associated with anemia, the Vatican said in a late update.

“The Holy Father continues to be alert and spent the day in an armchair although in more pain than yesterday. At the moment the prognosis is reserved,” the statement said.

Doctors have said Francis’ condition is touch-and-go and that he is by no means out of danger. The update, which is drafted by Francis’ medical team but issued by the Vatican, marked the first time the pope’s prognosis had been described as “reserved,” which suggests it is in flux and requires close observation.

Doctors have warned that the main threat facing Francis would be the onset of sepsis, a serious infection of the blood that can occur as a complication of pneumonia. As of Friday, there was no evidence of any sepsis, and Francis was responding to the various drugs he is taking, the pope’s medical team said in their first in-depth update on the pope’s condition.

Francis, who has chronic lung disease, was admitted to Gemelli hospital on Feb. 14 after a weeklong bout of bronchitis worsened.

Doctors first diagnosed the complex viral, bacterial and fungal respiratory tract infection and then the onset of pneumonia in both lungs. They prescribed “absolute rest” and a combination of cortisone and antibiotics, along with supplemental oxygen when he needs it. Saturday’s update marked the first time the Vatican has referred to Francis suffering an “asthmatic respiratory crisis of prolonged magnitude, which also required the application of oxygen at high flows.”

Dr. Sergio Alfieri, the head of medicine and surgery at Rome’s Gemelli hospital, said Friday the biggest threat facing Francis was that some of the germs that are currently located in his respiratory system pass into the bloodstream, causing sepsis. Sepsis can lead to organ failure and death.

“Sepsis, with his respiratory problems and his age, would be really difficult to get out of,” Alfieri told a news conference Friday at Gemelli. “The English say ‘knock on wood,’ we say ‘touch iron.’ Everyone touch what they want,” he said as he tapped the microphone. “But this is the real risk in these cases: that these germs pass to the bloodstream.”

“He knows he’s in danger,” Alfieri added. “And he told us to relay that.”

Meanwhile, the Vatican hierarchy went on the defensive to tamp down rumors and speculation that Francis might decide to resign. There is no provision in canon law for what to do if a pope becomes incapacitated. Francis has said that he has written a letter of resignation that would be invoked if he were medically incapable of making such a decision. The pope remains fully conscious, alert, eating and working.

The Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, gave a rare interview to Corriere della Sera to respond to speculation and rumors about a possible resignation. It came after the Vatican issued an unusual and official denial of an Italian media report that said Parolin and the pope’s chief canonist had visited Francis in the hospital in secret. Given the canonical requirements to make a resignation legitimate, the implications of such a meeting were significant, but the Vatican flat-out denied that any such meeting occurred.

Parolin said such speculation seemed “useless” when what really mattered was the health of Francis, his recovery and return to the Vatican.

“On the other hand, I think it is quite normal that in these situations uncontrolled rumors can spread or some misplaced comment is uttered. It is certainly not the first time it has happened,” Parolin was quoted as saying. “However, I don’t think there is any particular movement, and so far I haven’t heard anything like that.”

Deacons, meanwhile, were gathering at the Vatican for their special Holy Year weekend. Francis got sick at the start of the Vatican’s Holy Year, the once-every-quarter-century celebration of Catholicism. This weekend, Francis was supposed to have celebrated deacons, a ministry in the church that precedes ordination to the priesthood.

In his place, the Holy Year organizer will celebrate Sunday’s Mass, the Vatican said. And for the second consecutive weekend, Francis will skip his traditional Sunday noon blessing, which he could have delivered from Gemelli if he were up to it.

“Look, even though he’s not (physically) here, we know he’s here,” said Luis Arnaldo López Quirindongo, a deacon from Ponce, Puerto Rico, who was at the Vatican on Saturday for the Jubilee celebration. “He’s recovering, but he’s in our hearts and is accompanying us, because our prayers and his go together.”

___

Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP’s collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.

​ Orange County Register 

Angels’ Taylor Ward strives for consistency in 2025

• February 22, 2025

TEMPE, Ariz. — Taylor Ward has been consistently inconsistent over the past few years.

The Angels’ outfielder has gone through three straight rollercoaster seasons, which to some degree is just normal baseball. Ward, however, has seen his highs and lows get fairly extreme, with sharp turns related to on-field incidents.

“I definitely do not want to have the dip,” Ward said. “I want to stay steady the whole year. That’s the biggest goal for me, staying steady and healthy and not having that lull in the summer.”

Ward, 31, was off to a brilliant start in 2022 before crashing into the right-field fence, suffering a shoulder injury that sapped his strength for months.

His season was ended in 2023 when he was hit in the face by a pitch, suffering multiple facial fractures. Then, in 2024, he was hit again, and that time affected him mentally, resulting in a slump.

“There was a week or two when I was in the box, seeing the ball before he pitches,” Ward said. “It’s just not a good place to be at all.”

Ward was hitting .246 with a .773 OPS when he was hit in the head by Detroit Tigers right-hander Shelby Miller on June 30.

Ward hit .149 with a .405 OPS over his next 20 games. Willie Calhoun, who had gone through a similar incident, talked Ward through that.

“He really helped me through,” Ward said. “Helped me move on from just how scary it can be.”

Ward finished the season with a .284 average, nine homers and an .898 OPS in his final 37 games. For the season, he ended up with a .246 average, 25 homers and a .748 OPS.

“There’s the mental side of it and the mechanical side of it, and I think at the end of the year, my mechanics were clicking,” Ward said.

Over the winter, he’s tried to maintain his “A” swing, which he’s had at the start and end of 2022, the middle of 2023 until he got hit, and the end of 2024.

“I think it’s just finding myself and really staying out of my own way,” Ward said. “I think me and (hitting coach) Johnny Washington have really built a good relationship. I think with him being here, he’s going to help me stay on my rails and help limit that dip. Help me stay focused on my daily stuff and everything I’ve been doing in the offseason, and continuing that through the rest of the year.”

Manager Ron Washington said it would help Ward if the Angels’ other stars would stay healthy. His plan is to bat Ward in the leadoff spot, with Mike Trout and Jorge Soler hitting behind him in some order.

“Last year, Taylor was in a situation where he had to become the big boy on the team, and he tried to live up to that,” Washington said. “He showed up every day and he played. Hopefully this year, everyone that we are depending on and counting on, they stay healthy. And I think you’ll see a better version of Taylor Ward, where he can know that his job is to get on the base and score runs, and he’s able to get us a run with one swing of the bat.”

NETO UPDATE

Shortstop Zach Neto continues to throw at a distance of 45 feet and he just started taking batting practice against coaches.

Neto, who is rehabbing from November shoulder surgery, said he’s still not sure if he’ll be ready by Opening Day.

“Honestly I have no idea,” Neto said. “I am trying to be as optimistic as possible but ultimately, at the end of the day, it’s not my call. It’s whatever the team has in store. Just trying to try to do everything I can to be ready for Opening Day.”

Neto was hurt in September on a headfirst slide, so he said he plans to work on sliding feet-first this spring.

NOTES

Left-hander Yusei Kikuchi, who will be the Angels’ Opening Day starter, is scheduled to make his first start of the Cactus League on Friday night when the Angels play the Dodgers in Glendale. …

Left-hander Victor Gonzalez arrived in camp Saturday. Gonzalez, who is from Mexico, had been delayed by a visa issue. Gonzalez said he was communicating with the team while he was at home and he remained on schedule. He said he was scheduled for a bullpen session Saturday. Gonzalez, who has pitched in the majors with the Dodgers and Yankees, signed a minor-league deal with the Angels.

​ Orange County Register 

These OC continuation schools are recognized by state’s Education Department

• February 22, 2025

Out of 429 continuation schools in California, six Orange County campuses were named 2025 model continuation schools.

Continuation schools assist students at risk of falling behind and not meeting graduation requirements. Some students are transferred to continuation schools for low attendance or disciplinary issues. The schools provide support with different learning strategies, flexible schedules, guidance and counseling services for students.

The Model Continuation High Schools Recognition list is part of a state program with California’s Department of Education and the California Continuation Education Association. Schools named “model continuations” are determined to have “outstanding programs” and show dedication to supporting its students.

“The priority of our Model Continuation High Schools is to give students more than a diploma,” said State Superintendent of Public Instruction Tony Thurmond.

“The teachers and administrators aim to provide students with a student-centered approach that meets their diverse academic, social and emotional needs and opportunities to explore options beyond high school, preparing students for the future whether they choose to pursue further education or join the workforce,” Thurmond said.

El Camino Real, a continuation school in the Placentia-Yorba Linda Unified School District, was one of the six Orange County schools that made the list.

That was due in part, Principal Gina Aguilar said, to its EDGE intervention period, a student support program that includes two days of academic intervention, two days of social-emotional learning and a day dedicated to college and career readiness.

“Our mission is to equip students for future success by upholding high expectations within a supportive environment where each student’s unique strengths, goals, and needs are values,” Aguilar said.

La Vista High School has been named a model continuation school for the past 12 years, according to the school’s website. It offers honors, intervention and career technical education programs. The school has also partnered with Fullerton College to help students transition into college and careers.

Similar to La Vista High School, other model continuations in Orange County — including Marie L. Hare High School, Valley Vista High School and Lorin Griset Academy — operate based on quarters to help students get on track and ultimately transfer back to their original schools.

A total of 74 schools were named Model Continuation High Schools throughout the state. Selected campuses keep their title for three years, according to the state’s education department.

Orange County 2025 Model Continuation High Schools

• Fullerton Joint Union High School District, La Vista High School

• Garden Grove Unified School District, Marie L. Hare High School

• Huntington Beach Union High School District, Valley Vista High School

• Placentia Yorba Linda Unified School District, El Camino Real High School

• Saddleback Valley Unified School District, Silverado High School

• Santa Ana Unified School District, Lorin Griset Academy

​ Orange County Register 

Orange County girls win championships at CIF-SS Masters wrestling

• February 22, 2025

Orange County girls wrestlers who were champions at the CIF Southern Section Masters Meet on Friday at Sonora High (the top four placers in the Blue Division and the top four in the Gold Division advance to the CIF Stae Championships, Feb. 28 and March 1 at Bakersfield):

(Full results are here)

100 pounds, Blue Division: Angelica Serratos, Santa Ana

105 pounds, Blue Division: Alicia Serratos, Santa Ana

110 pounds, Blue Division: Aubree Gutierrez, Marina

120 pounds, Blue Division: Kylee Golz, Trabuco Hills

125 pounds, Blue Division: Lilyana Balderas, Anaheim

115 pounds, Gold Division: Maggie Cornish, Tesoro

155 pounds, Gold Division: Eva Garcia, Marina

170 pounds, Gold Division: Angela Salazar, Santa Ana

​ Orange County Register 

See all 18 holes of Disneyland’s Pixar Putt mini-golf course

• February 22, 2025

A Pixar-themed miniature golf course touring the United States has made a tour stop at the Disneyland resort for a limited-time run with holes paying tribute to Toy Story, Coco, Inside Out and the Incredibles.

The Pixar Putt mini-golf course at the Pixar Place Hotel will run through June 1 with daily tee times from 10 a.m. to 8:30 p.m.

ALSO SEE: Pixar Putt brings miniature golf back to Disneyland

You don’t have to stay at the Pixar Place Hotel to play the Pixar Putt course.

Disneyland resort hotel guests and Magic Key annual passholders get a discount on tickets with prices starting at $25. Tickets for the general public are $28 on Monday through Thursday and $33 on Friday through Sunday. Advanced reservations are recommended.

Let’s take a closer look at all 18 holes — each themed to a Pixar animated film.

Hole 1: ‘Monsters Inc.’

The “Monsters Inc.” hole features a maze of children’s bedroom doors just like the ones seen on the Laugh Floor.

Hole 2: ‘Elemental’

Two golfers play at the same time on the fire and water sides of the “Elemental” hole.

Hole 3: ‘Turning Red’

The red panda incarnation of Mei Lin Lee towers over the “Turning Red” hole.

Hole 4: ‘Wall-E’

The “Wall-E” hole challenges golfers to trace a spiral stream of fire extinguisher dust.

Hole 5: ‘Toy Story’

Golfers must putt through the mouth of Benson the ventriloquist dummy from the Second Chance Antiques shop on the first of two “Toy Story” holes.

Hole 6: ‘Inside Out 2’

Golfers have to time their putt to coincide with a spinning wheel on the “Inside Out 2” hole.

Hole 7: ‘Luca’

Golfers play through the hilly streets of Porto Rosso on the “Luca” hole.

Hole 8: ‘Incredibles’

Golfers encounter the Omnidroid robot on the “Incredibles” hole.

Hole 9: ‘Ratatouille’

Remy’s chef hat and oversized kitchen utensils form the obstacles on the “Ratatouille” hole.

Hole 10: Finding Nemo

Golfers aim for the gaping beak of Nigel the Australian brown pelican while putting along a pier dotted with seagulls on the Finding Nemo hole.

Hole 11: ‘Onward’

Golfers must drive their ball through the Guinevere van on the “Onward” hole.

Hole 12: ‘Soul’

Golfers drop their balls down a curving staircase of piano keys on the “Soul” hole.

Hole 13: ‘Toy Story’

Buzz Lightyear’s Space Ranger armor serves as the centerpiece of the second hole based on “Toy Story.”

Hole 14: ‘A Bug’s Life’

The deceptively difficult “Bug’s Life” hole is placed at the top of a sloping ant hill.

Hole 15: ‘Coco’

Golfers try to putt their ball along the strings of Miguel’s guitar on the “Coco” hole.

Hole 16: ‘Cars’

A looping track through Lightning McQueen’s 95 racing number offers a challenging route for golfers on the “Cars” hole.

Hole 17: ‘Inside Out’

Golfers drop their ball into one of five holes on the top of memory shelf at the “Inside Out” hole.

Hole 18: ‘Up’

The 18th hole is the most complex — with Carl Fredrickson’s balloon house “flying” to the top of Paradise Falls with the help of an attendant.

​ Orange County Register