In the 2006 Major League Soccer season, the defending champion LA Galaxy endured a difficult campaign, finishing 5th in the Western Conference with an 11-15-6 record and missing the playoffs entirely. The club faced early emotional turmoil following the sudden passing of GM Doug Hamilton in March. On the pitch, a poor 2-8-1 start led to the firing of head coach Steve Sampson, who was replaced by Frank Yallop. Landon Donovan led the offense with 12 goals, but the team ultimately fell short of the postseason.