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More than 30 minutes.
That’s how long LA Galaxy star Riqui Puig played with a torn ACL during last Saturday’s Western Conference final against the Seattle Sounders. More than 30 minutes in which the energetic 25-year-old Spaniard somehow maintained his buzzing movement, clever control of the ball, and eventually, a game-winning assist for a 1-0 victory.
Puig carried on, and whether it be due to adrenaline or a desire to continue conducting the attack as he so often does, he provided a moment of extraterrestrial-like magic that decided an invitation to this weekend’s MLS Cup final.
Following a turnover and a pass from teammate Mark Delgado, Puig rapidly received the ball, looked up, and perfectly placed a pass forward to striker Dejan Joveljić. With a chance to move the Galaxy one step closer to their first trophy in 10 years, the forward then scored the dramatic lone goal of the playoff game in the 85th minute.
But while the team soon celebrated after the final whistle, Puig looked distraught with his ACL tear requiring surgery and an extended amount of time off the field. Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney, who was initially unaware of the severity of the injury, was seen consoling the proactive midfielder who was in tears after the win.
“He was able to do things on one foot and protect the knee but still execute play,” Vanney said ahead of Saturday’s MLS Cup final against the New York Red Bulls. “It was extraordinary. Doesn’t make anything better, but it was extraordinary how he was able to manage the situation.”
Of the all-time selfless acts in the history of the league, few could top what Puig did against the Sounders, but one lingering question remains: Can the Galaxy win their sixth MLS Cup title without their key figure?
And “key” is an understatement here for the stellar Barcelona academy graduate who has rocketed the league’s once-sleeping giants to new heights. There is nobody else like Puig in MLS, which means that getting ready for Saturday won’t just be about preparing for the Red Bulls, but also preparing for the significant absence in the starting lineup.
‘He just brings something completely different’
So what exactly will the Galaxy be missing?
Puig’s finesse style and forward-thinking approach clearly have him passing the eye test, but what do the numbers say about the diminutive but bustling starter?
According to TruMedia/Opta, the 2024 member of MLS’ Best XI was ranked at No. 1 across all players in the regular season when it came to touches (3,368), pass attempts (2,830), pass completions (2,425) and carries (2,524). He’s also second in the league in through-balls (30), fifth in total shots (107) and tied for seventh in goal contributions (29).
Simply put: He creates a colossal amount of attacking output.
“We’re definitely going to miss Riqui out there, [a] special player, everyone can see that,” Delgado said to media on Tuesday. “Definitely irreplaceable, right? He just brings something completely different.”
With GM Will Kuntz serving as the architect that has cleverly built around Puig as the base, that output has catapulted the Galaxy from fan protests and a position at fourth-worst in 2023 to finalists and supporter jubilation just one season later.
“If you would’ve told me last year that the LA Galaxy would be in the MLS Cup, and not only that but hosting it, I would’ve laughed,” Anthony Castillejo, a long-time fan of the club, said to ESPN. “It’s been a complete turnaround … as a supporter, we’ve waited 10 long years to reach this point. From a Wooden Spoon, to boycotting games, to frustrations in management and player signings, you can name it all, we’ve been through it. This season has been one of the best as a supporter, you can feel the vibe from the stands to the players and from the players to the stands.”
Credit is due to Kuntz’s work that has brought other game-changers like Joseph Paintsil, Gabriel Pec, Edwin Cerrillo, and Marco Reus into the fold. Those players and countless others have also been part of a promising project that is growing under Vanney and his staff.
Nobody can truly recreate the talents of Puig, though, who was gaining momentum with eight goals and seven assists in his past 10 appearances.
“He’s the ultimate competitor,” Vanney said. “He wants to win, he wants to compete, he wants to play, he wants to impact the game, and he wants responsibility out on the field…when you look at the end of a stat sheet on any given day, he’s probably touched the ball 120 times, 140 times.
“We’ll miss that.”
Next in line
Unfortunately for the Red Bulls, who are probably overanalyzing the Galaxy’s handful of Puig-less performances in 2024, Vanney is currently keeping his altered set of cards close to his chest.
“Nothing that I want to share for the opposition specifically, but it’s going to be a different type of player than Riqui,” said the Galaxy coach on Tuesday about upcoming changes in the starting lineup. “[We] want to see who is ready, who is going. I also look at Red Bulls and see them as a little bit of a unique competitor because of their pressing, and they want to get man-to-man, and they want to be disruptors as much as they want to be creators in many ways.”
The health of some recovering options like Reus and Delgado will be a factor, but as opposed to simply placing another player in the Puig role, the workload will have to be redistributed or tinkered with against the Red Bulls.
Assuming Cerrillo continues to hold things down as the defensive midfielder, Vanney can combine the experience of Reus and the pace of Diego Fagundez as the two attacking midfielders. If defense is a worry, Gastón Brugman is also an intriguing option with his strength that can solidify the heart of the starting lineup. Delgado’s energy and well-rounded play also shouldn’t be overlooked, and no player might be more motivated than the hometown kid from Southern California who earned the hockey assist for last Saturday’s game winner.
“Playing in front of family, definitely it hits a special spot,” the midfielder said ahead of the championship game. “[It’s] something I don’t take lightly, just all a lot more of a reason to just get out there and give everything I have just to show and put on for my city and my family.”
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No matter what combination is selected, the Galaxy still have enough to be the slight favorites on Saturday. The fact that they aren’t immediately the underdogs is a testament to what Kuntz has put in with the roster rebuild. It’s also not as if the Galaxy collapsed during the handful of games that their Spanish star was unavailable either: The Galaxy lost just one of the five matches in which Puig was absent.
“In a season that is 34 games long, plus we had to go through it three to four games without Riqui during the course of the season, we were able to be successful to find the right formula with this group in those moments,” Vanney said. “It’s never something that we wanted, but we at least have something to look back on.”
‘Our heart is with him’
As difficult as the injury is for Puig, he isn’t going to vanish altogether. The emotional toll is a heavy one, but it’s clear that he’ll continue to back the team in any way he can off the field.
“He’s devastated,” Vanney said. “To work as hard as he has, and to care as much as he does about being in this moment, this is what he came here for, is to be in this game that’s coming up and to win a championship. That’s what he’s been driven and motivated by and so you can imagine it’s difficult.
“It’s going to be hard for him, but he’s going to be positive for the group. I can already see that in the messages he’s sent the group. So he’s there and the group’s going to want to fight for him on the weekend, too.”
That group is also cognizant that one single star, no matter how bright, doesn’t define a galaxy. As much as the injury has hurt Puig’s teammates, there’s a sense of rechanneling those feelings into extra motivation for a much-desired trophy after escaping a recent worrisome period.
“We have to move forward, the game stops for no one, and we just gotta sort it out,” Delgado said. “Our heart is with him and [that] definitely gives us just another reason to go out there and give it our all for him.”
The absence will also be a tough one for the wider MLS fanbase.
When watching Puig dart around like a furious bee, hell-bent on only thinking of attack-minded soccer, it’s easy to feel reminded of why so many fall in love with the sport in the first place. It’s a genuine joy to see him play so freely, and for those watching from home or in the stands, there will undoubtedly be a void that’s the size of a black hole in the Galaxy lineup.
For supporters or for the club itself, this vacancy can feel more akin to a cataclysmic supernova that has created a crisis as those in charge figure out what to do with the remnants of the impact of their fallen star. Here’s the thing about supernovas, though: What can often be left behind is material that can create new celestial lights.
And on Saturday, there will be opportunities for others to shine on the most prominent stage in MLS.
“Even with the injury to Riqui, I feel like this team is just destined to lift the title,” said Castillejo, the longtime supporter. “The universe has aligned all the stars to add the sixth one to the LA Galaxy crest.”