CARSON, Calif. --
On September 3, the LA Galaxy announced they acquired defender Lucas Calegari from Eyüpspor of the Turkish Süper Lig, making his return to the team after spending the 2023 season in LA.
In last Saturday’s match against the Seattle Sounders, Calegari made his first appearance in his second stint with the Galaxy, as he started at right back and played the entirety of the match. His performance on the pitch and impact on the defense made it clear that he still has just as much poise as he did in his first stint.
“It’s (an) amazing feeling to be here again,” Calegari said. “I feel at home, I feel like I never left here.”
The Galaxy acquired Calegari on a loan for the 2023 season, when the Brazilian was just 21 years old. In his lone prior season with the club, in which he appeared in 22 matches, he had been named the club’s Defensive Player of the Year as a result of his impact on the defense.
Ultimately, Calegari seemed destined to become a household name in the Galaxy organization, especially considering his youth at the time of that success. However, his stint took a turn towards the end of the season.
At the end of the season, in which Calegari was on a loan, the defender suffered a torn ACL injury that complicated his chances at a long-term contract. Since his injury made the commitment risky, the Galaxy did not opt to acquire Calegari full-time.
But fast forward around three years later, Calegari is back with the Galaxy and is poised to make an impact down the season’s final stretch. Although the team’s roster has gone through its fair share of change since his tenure, it still feels like Calegari is slotted right where he left off in 2023.
When the opportunity came about to return, it was one that Calegari refused to deny.
“I did everything to be here. Me and my family organized a lot of scenarios to be here again,” Calegari said. “We feel at home here.”
Calegori noted that he and his family grew strong trust in the organization's personnel, making him feel at home. However, joining a squad late in the season can come with its own potential troubles on the pitch.
Throughout the second half of the 2026 season, the Galaxy’s roster has seen its share of significant shifts — bringing on multiple players as the team continues to adjust its roster. Most times that can come as a challenge for an incoming player, but for Calegari, it instead represents an opportunity.
“I need to know my teammates as best as I can, because we only have eight games (until) we finish the league,” Calegari said. “I think the most important now is to talk to them to know each other. We know the movements, we know where to pass.”
Calegari acknowledged that it is difficult to come in and join a team in its late-season push, but his first game action showed that not only is he ready to make an impact, but head coach Greg Vanney still owns that trust in him, just as if he never left the Galaxy.
“We have a lot of great players and (we) have big expectations to finish the season the way that this club deserves,” Calegari said.