As talented as Riqui Puig is, as rare and beguiling as his quintessential No. 10 skill set may be, the numbers his LA Galaxy posted during his recent injury absence were just as difficult to ignore: Three straight wins, two of them marked by clean sheets, the Gs showcasing levels of collective organization and solidity which have been all too rare for the club over the past few years.
So it was probably no coincidence the Spanish playmaker reminded everyone he’s still the Galaxy’s spiritual center of gravity as he returned to the pitch on Saturday night.
Puig came off the bench to orchestrate a late-breaking demolition of their California Clásico rivals the San Jose Earthquakes before a crowd of more than 40,000 spectators at Stanford Stadium, turning a one-goal lead into a commanding 3-0 rout with a bustling maestro’s display highlighted by a 91% pass completion rate and a guiding hand in the Gs’ second and third goals.
“He took the game to another level and another speed, and I think there shouldn't really be too many comments on whether this team is better with or without Riqui, I think that's nonsense,” said LA coach Greg Vanney afterward.
“It just proved today that his capacity and his quality makes our team great, right? We can be really good, but he helps to make our team great. And so I was happy for him because he certainly changed the game, and the next two goals that really put the game away came from him.”
Extra motivation?
Puig himself seems to be finely attuned to even the slightest hint of doubt or criticism. As MLS Season Pass host Kevin Egan explained on MLSsoccer.com this week, the FC Barcelona alum took to Twitter to fire off a snarky potshot in the direction of Season Pass’ Sacha Kljestan and the rest of MLSsoccer.com’s panel of preseason predictors on Wednesday, just a few days after Kljestan observed the newfound defensive composure his team displayed in his absence.
“It's going to be on Riqui Puig to settle back into the team, stay organized, stay disciplined, stay in position, and not go running all over the place,” said Kljestan, who this weekend teamed up with Egan to poke a bit of fun at himself in response to Puig’s tweet, taking a week off from MLS 360 duties as he spent some time in Europe.
Sure enough, before Vanney had even finished his postgame press conference in San Jose, Puig was back online to respond, throwing some more shade in the direction of Kljestan, himself a SoCal resident and former Galaxy playmaker.
“Yeah, Riqui’s good, man,” said Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy. “Like, the guy's really good and he comes in, holds the ball really well, controls the game, can make plays, makes things happen. So I think he can speak for himself, but as a teammate, when he steps on the field he performs, he loves to go forward and keep possession. So it's nice to get him back on the field and hopefully, he stays on the field for us. We need him.”
From Clásico to Tráfico
It’s a timely, juicy subplot as their July 4 El Tráfico clash (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass) with crosstown rivals LAFC looms. This edition of the derby carries arguably more significance than it has in years thanks to the legitimate excellence of both Los Angeles clubs, who currently sit first and second in the Western Conference standings thanks to red-hot runs of form – not to mention the fact this one is set for the Rose Bowl, with the enlarged crowd that provides.
The Galaxy have won four straight, are 6-1 since late May and have posted three consecutive shutouts for the first time in eight years. LAFC, meanwhile, are on an 8-0-1 tear of their own over the past two months.
“We’re in a good place right now,” said McCarthy, who played for LAFC before crossing the divide last winter. “Going into El Tráfico, it's one of those games that you want to be a part of, and it's one of those cool moments when you get to compete against big teams.
“We hope to take the business when we go to the Rose Bowl. It’s one of those cool games, cool environments, and you get to play against a big-time club that wants to win just like us. So we're looking forward to the moment, we're looking forward to the game, and we'll take it day by day until we get there and make the most of our opportunities.”
Not just Riqui
Yet even as Puig grabs the spotlight both on and off the pitch, it’s notable his team’s revival has hinged on the fact they’re less dependent on him than in the past. That’s largely thanks to the potent injection of pace and directness provided by pricey wingers Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil.
The duo combined for LA’s opening goal in San Jose, a breathtakingly swift counterattack that saw play swing from one penalty box to the other in barely 10 seconds, from McCarthy making a point-blank save after a Quakes corner kick to Pec serving up an inviting pass for Paintsil to stroke past William Yarbrough. It was the sort of incisive transition the Galaxy have craved for years.
“You see the speed of Gabe and the quality of Gabe on the pass, the speed of Joe. Because as they got the numbers and they had the open space, the execution of that action was really good,” said Vanney. “If you're going to over-press us or send too many numbers high, there could be a cost on the other side, which we showed tonight. Which is a little bit newer from last year to this group this year, is just that ability to change games in that phase of play. So it was wonderful to get those guys going.
“So we move on. We're on to the next one, big one, in front of us.”
