Lozano hungry to prove a point after San Diego exile

Hirving Lozano is determined to repay the LA Galaxy for the faith they have shown in him, ahead of making his possible debut against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday.

Lozano has joined the Galaxy on loan for the rest of the season, having been frozen out by their California rivals San Diego FC. The former PSV forward has not played competitively since November 2025, following a disagreement with San Diego coach Mikey Varas at the end of last season. It remains to be seen if Lozano is ready to be involved this weekend, but he has made himself available to head coach Greg Vanney.

'A great opportunity'

"The Galaxy are one of the most important clubs in MLS. It was a great opportunity, and well, I took it. I think it was the right decision," Lozano told ESPN.

"Honestly, I'm happy to be here. The Galaxy have given me an opportunity, and I'm going to try to always give my best for this club. They've set up a good programme for me, with solid planning to ensure I can perform at my best level."

Asked about his exile from the San Diego squad, Lozano said: "I don't know the exact reasons, but they have their reasons. But right now, there's a different objective, different goals, and for the moment, I'm here with the Galaxy."

Dynamo clash could be a tricky return

The Galaxy are 12th in the Western Conference, two points adrift of the wild-card places, while Houston are flying high in fourth. Having beaten the New England Revolution last weekend, Ben Olsen's Dynamo are only two points behind the Western Conference leaders, the Vancouver Whitecaps, albeit they have played an additional game.

In 31 MLS appearances for San Diego, 22 of which were starts, Lozano registered 11 goals and nine assists. The Mexican may not be ready to start immediately, given his recent lack of game time, but he will be itching to get out on the field in some capacity.

Players to watch

Houston Dynamo – Guilherme: Guilherme has been involved in nine goals in his last eight regular-season appearances (six goals, three assists), including scoring in each of his last three games. He has 18 goal contributions in his first 18 MLS matches (11 goals, seven assists).

LA Galaxy – Hirving Lozano: Only Anders Dreyer (30 goals, 24 assists) has ever recorded more MLS goal contributions for the club than Lozano's 11 goals and nine assists.

Match prediction

Each of the last three clashes between the sides have ended in 1-1 draws, but the Dynamo are favourites for this one. They have won three straight regular-season matches for the first time since March 2024, keeping clean sheets in all three. The Galaxy, meanwhile, are winless in five straight matches (D3 L2) dating back to May.

OPTA Win Probability: Houston Dynamo 44.7% | Draw 26.8% | LA Galaxy 28.5%