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Raheem Edwards looks to master new role with the Galaxy

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Same city, new team, new focus on a new position.

That sums up things for Raheem Edwards.

After playing last season with LAFC, Edwards made the move to the Galaxy, signing as a free agent and focusing on becoming a left back.

“This is my first year officially playing left back as my number one position,” Edwards said. “I played a couple of positions, so it’s not like I’m not used to it (changing positions).

“This is a position that I now have to hone in and take accountability for because this is the position they see me in.”

In baseball terms, Edwards would be the perfect utilityman, having played in the midfield, forward and winger throughout his career.

“His athleticism, his craftiness, all those things are there,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said. “He’s a very good soccer player.”

Even though he’s at left back, Edwards has the freedom to get up and down the wing, joining the attack. He assisted on Chicharito’s game-winning goal in the season opener against New York City FC and on last week’s winner from Efrain Alvarez against Charlotte FC.

“He’s been more of an attacker through his career, as a winger, as a wing-back and I think he has all the capacities to be a fullback,” Vanney said. “He’s engaged and it’s something he wants to do.

“It’s a conversation that we had when he was a free agent about his willingness and desire to become that player, to become a fullback and to understand and to dive into all of the nuances that it takes to be great at that. He wants to be a master of something and not kind of a jack of all trades and to be that with our group and in our environment, and I think it gives him an opportunity to grow into the national team picture for a team like Canada.”

Edwards’ arrival has come at the perfect time for the Galaxy.

Last season’s starter Jorge Villafaña is still bothered by a bone bruise and could be sidelined for longer period.

“You find players who had a certain level of success but maybe haven’t broken in to be the everyday guy in a specific role, but have had some level success and shown a capacity to be excellent at certain things in the game, but haven’t locked down a certain spot,” Vanney said. “He had moved from a couple different teams, played a couple different roles, you see a player with capacity and a desire to be something … a master of something, then that’s an opportunity.”

With Edwards and Julian Araujo (right back) on the outside and Nick DePuy and Sega Coulilbaly at the two center back spots, the Galaxy has recorded consecutive shutouts.

“It’s a bit more organization,” Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond said. “Bit more direction, the back four is a definitely more active. We cover a lot more ground and we have midfielders up front that pick up second balls.”

The effort will be challenged Saturday against the Sounders, but after the woes in the past, the Galaxy has a stronger foundation that it can certainly build on.

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“They knew from last season that the team defending as a whole wasn’t good enough, so it was something that we honed in on in preseason,” Edwards said. “We’re making sure that we’re tight as a unit, compact and communicating and setting ourselves up for the best way possible to defend the goal.

“We’re just going to keep building our defense, and not just from the back, but the whole team in general. Staying compact, staying tight and making it hard to play against us.”

GALAXY (2-0) at SEATTLE SOUNDERS (0-2)

When: 12:30 p.m. Saturday

Where: Lumen Field, Seattle

TV: Fox/11

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