After two years of steady decline, the Galaxy's team payroll jumped 37% this season to $17.5 million, according to figures released Thursday by the MLS players union.
That ranks second only to defending league champion Toronto FC in terms of guaranteed compensation. Toronto's payroll is $26.1 million this season. The expansion Los Angeles Football Club ranks fifth at $13.432 million, a record for a first-year club.
Galaxy President Chris Klein said the increase in spending has, not surprisingly, paid off in improved performances on the field. In this year's CONCACAF Champions League, for example, MLS teams eliminated two Mexican teams in the quarterfinals of the same tournament for the first time.