United/Loon – Know thy enemy and know thyself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated, according to ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu. Wise advice and a good way to spend spare time while you wait for the next match at work. In our abundant lead-up time, we’ve picked out a few of the brightest stars the Galaxy have to offer ahead of MNUFC’s Conference Semifinal match against LA, and we turned all our research into a couple of handy scouting reports. So, without further ado, let’s get to know the next name on the list:

SCOUTING: Maya Yoshida (aka 吉田 麻也)

  • Age: 36 years old
  • Birthplace: Nagasaki, Japan
  • Height: 6’2”
  • Position: Center Back
  • Preferred Foot: Right

Strengths

  • Excellent versatility, and comfortable playing on left or right
  • Height makes him an aerial threat on set pieces
  • Like Boxy, experienced and looked to as a leader on the pitch

Weaknesses

  • Lacking in pace, speed
  • Tackling

Key Stats:

  • 93.1% passes completed (avg. per match)

Career Accolades

  • Japan Men’s National Team (FIFA World Cup – 2014, 2018, 2019, 2022)
  • Japan Men’s National Team (Olympics – 2008, 2012, 2020)

Summary

While there is only one Michael Boxall, if there is anyone on the LA Galaxy roster that can draw a close comparison, it’s Maya Yoshida. The Japanese international joined the club in 2023, but his long and respected career on the pitch has had plenty of stops before making his way to the States. In his 15 years at the professional level, Yoshida has played in some of the most competitive leagues in the world including the English Premier League (Southampton – 8 seasons), Serie A (Sampdoria – 3 seasons), and Bundesliga (Schalke 04 – 1 season).

Another similarity to Boxall is Yoshida’s years of experience, and the Galaxy look to him as a leader in the locker room and on the pitch, as he too dons the captain’s armband for LA. One of the biggest reasons for Yoshida’s move to LA was his desire to find success at the club level, as he has seen his share of disappointing results during his time as a professional. While the center back spent 8 seasons amongst some of the best talent in the world in the English Premier League, the best Yoshida finished in his time with Southampton was their 2015-2016 campaign, in which the club finished in 6th place in the EPL standings. The defender has also experienced some heartbreak at the international level, most recent amongst those disappointments coming in the 2022 World Cup in Qatar when Yoshida’s missed PK attempt in Japan’s shootout with Croatia would decide the match and eliminate Japan from the tournament.

While those moments of glory have eluded the 36-year-old during his career, he continues to be a trusted and consistent defender for LA, playing a total of 3,035 minutes in the MLS regular season — the most of any Galaxy player this season. Yoshida’s dependability in the middle of LA’s defensive third is one of the reasons for their resurgence in 2024, but his strengths on the pitch don’t end there. Additional attributes to his game include his standing amongst the best defenders in the air in MLS, while he has also shown above average abilities clearing the ball and as a shot blocker. To find success against a dependable center back like Yoshida, the Loons must utilize their speed and accuracy as an attacking unit if they hope to exploit the defender’s limited speed and pace at this point in his career.

But don’t just take my word for it—here’s a sample-size of some of Yoshida’s best moments and visual proof for what the Loons are coming up against.