The LA Galaxy are tied for first place in the Western Conference following a dramatic 2-1 win at home against Minnesota United on Saturday, July 7th.
After the loss to LAFC at the Rose Bowl snapped a four-game run of wins, the victory against Minnesota gives the Galaxy a shot at rebuilding their streak before the start of their Leagues Cup campaign.
It’s been a hot summer for the Los Angeles Galaxy. They’ve had to brave the heat without Riqui Puig, but the Galaxy have been in impressive form since returning from a two-week break with a 4-2 win over Sporting Kansas City on June 13th.
Diego Fagundez, the only active player in MLS’s 70/70 club, was tasked with stepping into the vacant 10 spot and brought something fans haven’t been used to seeing: balance.
In previous press conferences, Head Coach Greg Vanney has made no secret of his admiration for Fagundez, citing his importance to the team’s attacking and defensive structure.
On the other hand, for all of their attacking menace, the Galaxy often look erratic or unorganized with Riqui Puig steering the ship. Puig is a chaotic player who can frazzle his own teammates just as easily as the opponents, leading to recurring moments where the Galaxy are exposed defensively and unable to come together offensively.
With his more responsible and measured approach, Diego Fagundez helped guide his side to four consecutive victories without Riqui Puig, an especially impressive feat considering that prior to this, the Galaxy had never won more than two games in a row under Greg Vanney.
In fact, the LA Galaxy are unbreakable when Diego Fagundez starts. In the 13 games in which he has started in 2024, the Galaxy have a record of 8-0-5.
In between Fagundez’s unbeaten streak came Riqui Puig’s first start since June 1st against LAFC. The Galaxy had plenty of threatening moments early in the first half and later on in the second, but they never seemed to truly get into the match. With all traffic flowing through Riqui Puig, it became difficult for his teammates to integrate themselves into play, while it became easier for LAFC to neutralize his efforts.
As pointed out by Alex Ruiz, Riqui Puig has failed to create a single chance against LAFC in three straight matches. With Puig giving literally nothing of substance going forward, it’s no wonder that the Galaxy ceded the top spot to the black and yellow.
Diego Fagundez returned to the starting lineup against Minnesota United, this time alongside Riqui Puig. The Uruguayan adopted a balanced role, progressing the ball and distributing it with his teammates from a deeper position. This prevented Puig from dropping into the defensive half to get on the ball.
By neutralizing one of Puig’s worst habits, Fagundez helped the Spaniard stay higher up the pitch where he is more effective and more capable of harming opposing defenses.
Although it wasn’t a vintage Riqui Puig performance, these tweaks allowed him to have a much greater impact on the game. Puig earned himself a pair of hockey assists by playing a fantastic pass in behind Minnesota’s defense towards an onrushing fullback in each half. While Puig’s class is entirely his own doing, Diego Fagundez’s presence in the midfield was crucial for helping Puig and the rest of the Galaxy have more success in their roles than they had against LAFC.
Gabriel Pec scored both goals to bring his tally up to nine goals and eight assists in 22 games played. According to Galaxy Director of Communications Kevin Acevedo via The Quasar Weekly, “Pec’s 12 goal contributions [in nine games played dating back to May 25], ranks tied for second in MLS behind only Cucho Hernandez”, who has scored just one more goal than Pec.
Pec is undoubtedly in red-hot form, but the results indicate that Diego Fagundez carries the most responsibility for the Galaxy’s recent successes. It really is as simple as when Fagundez starts, the Galaxy win, draw, but never lose.
In less than a week the Angelenos travel to Texas to face FC Dallas. Diego Fagundez’s winning record may be at stake as the Galaxy have failed to win at Toyota Stadium since the Obama administration (Alex Ruiz). If Greg Vanney and the Galaxy hope to build another streak of wins, Fagundez has proven that he could be their most valuable asset.
PHOTO: LA Galaxy
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