There is something simply amazing about the Los Angeles Galaxy. In Major League Soccer, a league 100% engineered for parity, the Galaxy are laughing in the face of parity and building a potential dynasty. It’s a testament to their coaches, scouts, front office, owners, everyone in the chain that has enabled the franchise to dominate MLS in 2011 and turn around and be ready to do it again in 2012…and I’m saying this knowing full well Omar Gonzales will miss the season with a knee injury.

Fans of other MLS clubs can bitch and moan to their heart’s content, I know I have (and do), but that anger is born out of jealousy because our team isn’t capable of doing what the Galaxy are doing. It’s a combination of money to afford star power and scouting to find role players that fill in the gaps and keep them operating under the quirky financial guidelines that the league has in place. The Galaxy are not cheating, they aren’t bending the rules and despite the jokes, MLS is not stacking the deck on their behalf. They simply are working within the system and they’re doing it better than everyone else.

It helps to have an ownership group like AEG with not only enough money to buy the toys, but the willingness to spend it. It helps they play in Los Angeles, a flashy city with great weather and the type of social appeal that so many other MLS cities just can’t compete with. It also helps that Bruce Arena is a wizard at building a staff and team. Look, it sucks people but they are damned good at what they do and they’ve set the bar very high for other clubs to try and match.

Now that certainly doesn’t mean that the Galaxy will walk through the upcoming season undefeated and roll to a second straight MLS Cup. They still have to avoid injuries, deal with CONCACAF Champions League matches and get the results required, but I think it’s fair to say that baring disaster, they should be able to handle that. It’s daunting and it’s annoying, but that’s life.

Oh yeah, Juninho might be coming back as well.

I also think MLS fans are tricking themselves in to believing that somehow the loss of Omar Gonzalez is going to cause chaos in the Galaxy’s defense. Todd Dunivant, A.J. DeLaGarza and Sean Franklin all return and they’ve brought in three central defenders to compete for Omar’s spot. Andrew Boyens and Bryan Gaul are massive, 6′-4″ and 6′-5″ respectively, so as long as they can play the position (and do you think Arena would have brought them in if they couldn’t?), they’ll be able to replace the size that Omar gave them. Rookie Tommy Meyer has looked solid in the preseason as well.

I think people have a great deal of respect for Omar Gonzalez, and rightfully so, but the Galaxy defense is good enough that they can recover from losing him. Feel free to trick yourself otherwise, but the truth will show through on the pitch this season.

The finally element of all this is a question, is the Galaxy’s “laughing in the face of parity” a good or bad thing?

This is a classic sports debate and I have to come down on the side of it being good for the league. The Galaxy are the best at the moment and every other team will spend 2012 trying to knock them off their perch. Teams are going to bring their “A” games every single night against LA, thus giving all of us more entertaining matches. More importantly, it forces every other team in the league to find a way to catch up and compete with LA, it’s a carrot that should improve the quality of competition.

Sure we’d like to see them have a rival. Great rivalries have helped shape eras of major sports leagues in America, Lakers vs. Celtics or Yankees vs. Red Sox come to mind, but it doesn’t have to be a long terms rivalry either. The half a decade or so in the NHL when the Avalanche and the Red Wings were literally at each other’s throats was fantastic. If another team can step up this season and really challenge the Galaxy, it will make everything else that much better.

It’s also about media attention, because like it or not, Brand Beckham and Robbie Keane brings a bigger spotlight to the league and the continued media attention will only help increase interest not only from fans, but from potential sponsors and other individuals looking to get involved in the sport in America.

It doesn’t mean we have to like it or stop making jokes about the Galaxy getting special favors from Don Garber, but it does mean we need to realize that we’re seeing a franchise in MLS taking the next step in terms of becoming a brand, not only in the US, but globally. It was bound to happen and while the average fan in Seattle, Houston, Chicago or Philly might not like it, it’s ultimately going to make everyone stronger.

After all, we want MLS to be taken seriously and the Galaxy are forcing people to pay attention to them and by proxy, the league, that’s good for business.

About Zach Woosley

Zach "The Ginge" Woosley is the editor of World Soccer Reader. He is loved by few, hated by many, respected by far less, but usually knows what he's on about. Find more of his work on dynamotheory.com and follow him on Twitter: @GingeFC