LA Galaxy Hire Sigi Schmid as Head Coach, Fire Curt Onalfo

MLS club LA Galaxy have parted ways with manager Curt Onalfo and hired Sigi Schmid as his replacement.

The team announced the news via Twitter:

Per a club statement, Schmid will immediately replace the outgoing manager and will already be on the bench for Saturday's match against the Seattle Sounders.

Club president Chris Klein explained the decision to take the team in a different direction:

"After a great deal of evaluation and careful consideration, we believe that Sigi Schmid is the best person to coach our team for the remainder of this season and into the future. Sigi is one of the most experienced coaches in the history of soccer in the United States and he is an extremely successful manager that has proven himself to be a winner within Major League Soccer.

"[...]Curt Onalfo has been a loyal servant to the Galaxy and Galaxy II for a number of seasons and we wish him well."

Matthew Ashton - AMA/Getty Images

At the time the move was made, the Galaxy found themselves outside of the play-off spots in the Western Conference. The team sits in ninth place in the West, five points behind the Vancouver Whitecaps and the final ticket to the post-season.

The five-time MLS Cup winners lost their last outing against the New England Revolution, a 4-3 thriller that likely sealed Onalfo's fate. The 47-year-old Brazilian had worked as an assistant or manager at the club since 2011, but the results weren't good enough during his lone season as the head coach.

Fox Sports' Rob Stone felt for Onalfo:

Schmid already had a stint in charge of the Galaxy, between 1999 and 2004. He guided the team to the 2002 MLS Cup and last coached the Sounders.