After the best debut season by a midfielder in Galaxy history, no one would have begrudged Romain Alessandrini if he had taken a trip home to France for some relaxation and celebration this winter.
Yet he did neither, staying in Playa Vista where he began working out for the new MLS season before the old one had officially ended.
That's probably a wise approach since Alessandrini will have a target on his back this season. The second season in the MLS has proved harder than the first one for a number of recent European imports, including Gio dos Santos, Steven Gerrard and Jelle Van Damme.