Tag: LA Galaxy

Riqui Puig marked his first MLS start with a ridiculous assist

Riqui Puig did not take long to show MLS the immense quality he possesses

Riqui Puig did not take long to show MLS the immense quality he possesses.

Making his first start for the LA Galaxy after his move from Barcelona, the 23-year-old dissected the New England Revolution defense with an inch-perfect through ball that Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez finished off to give the Galaxy an early 2-0 lead.

Puig hit a half-volley through the eye of a needle from some distance, registering one of the passes of the season in MLS.

Chicharito’s 15th-minute goal would prove to be the winner as the playoff-chasing Galaxy got a much-needed 2-1 win away at Gillette Stadium.

Puig went the full 90 in the match, one week after making his MLS debut off the bench against Seattle.

“He’s shifty, he’s quick, he gets on the other side of his guy,” said Galaxy head coach Greg Vanney after the game. “And he just kept working defensively through the entire game. His first 90 minutes, not easy, in New England, after a long trip, on turf. Welcome to MLS, Riqui. That was a tough one, but he was excellent. Just brought class with the whole game.”

Watch Puig’s assist to Chicharito

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Riqui Puig says he’d ‘never seen’ Barcelona treat players how they have this summer

“The truth is, it hurt me a lot”

Riqui Puig’s Barcelona exit was—perhaps unsurprisingly given the chaotic summer at the club—not exactly painless.

Puig came up through La Masia, Barca’s vaunted youth set-up, but completed a surprise move to the LA Galaxy during the summer transfer window.

Speaking to AS from his new home stadium, Puig said Barca effectively chased him out of the club as part of a panicked series of moves designed to register their new signings for the 2022-23 La Liga season despite massive debts.

“It was a tough month because I had never seen that before, leaving players behind in Barcelona and going on a tour without them,” said Puig, who was stuck training with a handful of teammates in Barcelona while the club went on a preseason tour of the country he would end up moving to.

Puig said that while he wasn’t necessarily surprised that Barca’s financial bind forced them to move some players along, the method was not one he looks kindly on.

“Perhaps I understand the club’s position, they want to put pressure on players to leave, but there are other ways to do it,” explained Puig. “It was really difficult being in Barcelona, training alone, with four other teammates who were also there with me.”

The latest player to find themselves on the wrong end of the club’s methodology is U.S. men’s national team defender Sergiño Dest. Initially told he would be part of the club’s plans for the season, Dest has instead found himself frozen out, with Xavi indicating that the club wants him to leave so they can continue their endless spending.

Puig spent seven years with Barca, but said that being left home while the club went on a tour was a painful experience.

“After seven years at the club, being in Barcelona when all my teammates are in Los Angeles playing matches…well, the truth is that it hurt me a lot,” said Puig. “It’s a difficult situation and sometimes you have to make decisions and they have made this decision but I don’t agree with it.”

In the meantime, Puig has made his Galaxy debut over the weekend, subbing into a 3-3 draw with the Seattle Sounders.

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Chicharito says he’d play for Manchester United for free

Once a Red Devil, always a Red Devil

LA Galaxy striker Javier “Chicharito” Hernández has said he would happily return to his former club Manchester United if asked – and would even play for free.

United’s goalscoring woes were apparent in a season-opening loss to Brighton, with the Red Devils linked to a host of options in the transfer market including Bologna veteran Marko Arnautović.

Chicharito spent four seasons with United between 2010 and 2014, before he played his final two seasons under contract with the Premier League club on loan at Real Madrid.

The 34-year-old admitted he’d be happy to make a shock return to Old Trafford, though he made it clear his first priority is the Galaxy.

“If United came for me then I’d say: ‘Yes, I’ll play for free.’ Of course, you know, I’d do that,” the striker told the Mirror.

“But I also want to be very respectful to my club. I am playing very consistently and in my mind my conviction is all about winning a championship with LA Galaxy.

“In the future, if things happen then they happen – but in my mind I am 100 percent with LA.”

Manchester United’s Javier Hernandez reacts after scoring a goal against Marseille during their Champions League first knockout stage second leg soccer match at Old Trafford, Manchester, England, Tuesday March 15, 2011. (AP Photo/Jon Super)

Chicharito on Sir Alex Ferguson

Though it has now been nine years since legendary manager Sir Alex Ferguson left United, Chicharito believes that the club is still figuring out how to adapt to life without his former coach.

“United need to get over the fact that Sir Alex Ferguson has gone,” Chicharito said.

“Would we like to have someone similar? Yes, yes, yes. But Sir Alex has gone and it is never going to be the same.

“It doesn’t surprise me what has happened at United because in life it’s not easy having a manager for 26 years in the way that Sir Alex did it.”

Since Ferguson’s departure in 2013, United has yet to win another Premier League or Champions League title.

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LA Galaxy deny claim they are trying to evict Orange County SC from their stadium

The USL Championship side has said its local MLS rival is trying to evict the team from its home stadium in Irvine

The LA Galaxy have denied that they are attempting to evict Orange County SC from its home stadium in Irvine.

OCSC released a fiery statement over the weekend accusing the Galaxy of eyeing Championship Soccer Stadium as the exclusive home for its upcoming team in MLS NEXT Pro.

“We are stunned and extremely disappointed by yesterday’s news that the city could undo all the great work we have done in soccer and in the local community in Orange County,” OCSC owner James Keston said.

Ahead of an Irvine City Council meeting on Tuesday to discuss the matter, the Galaxy did not deny they are aiming to use Championship Soccer Stadium but insisted they are not looking to evict any of its current tenants.

“The LA Galaxy are a proud partner to the local soccer community and are committed to positively growing the sport of soccer in the Southern California region,” said a statement released on Monday night.“LA Galaxy are not interested in an exclusive arrangement for LA Galaxy II to play at the Orange County Great Park Championship Soccer Stadium and have advised all parties of our willingness to open conversations with the City of Irvine and other stakeholders on mutually-acceptable arrangements pertaining to the use of the stadium moving forward.”

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MLS Madness spreads nationwide as league breaks goalscoring record

MLS was, even by MLS standards, completely bonkers Saturday night

Summer in MLS can be a rough time. You’re too far away from the real pressure of making or missing the playoffs, it’s hot and humid everywhere, teams are figuring it out after transfer window moves. It can feel very much like everyone’s biding their time for September and October.

Not August 6. MLS Madness™ took hold in nearly every corner of the country, with goals galore, teams scoring and conceding in the deepest depths of stoppage time, big-name stars scoring bangers, and everyone basically went bananas. It was a perfect advertisement for the league: fun, flawed, weird, and inexplicable.

For one thing, MLS broke a league record for goals scored in one night. Across 13 games Saturday night, teams combined for 57 goals, an average of well over four per game. The old record of 46 was left in the dust.

As the league itself once said, This Stuff Kicks!

In chronological order, let’s go through one of the wildest nights in MLS history:

Orange County SC ‘stunned’ as they claim LA Galaxy are trying to evict them behind their back

The USL Championship side is furious with its local MLS rival

Orange County SC has said they were “stunned” to learn that the LA Galaxy are trying to evict them from their home stadium in Irvine.

In a fiery statement released on Friday, OCSC said that the Irvine City Council will consider a proposal on Tuesday that will give the Galaxy exclusive rights to the club’s current home of Championship Soccer Stadium.

OCSC, the current USL Championship title holder, said the club is exploring its legal options in response to a proposal it claimed was “developed without OCSC’s input or awareness.”

“Our club is built in Irvine, 100 percent Orange County proud and now under attack,” OCSC owner James Keston said. “We are stunned and extremely disappointed by yesterday’s news that the city could undo all the great work we have done in soccer and in the local community in Orange County.”

The Galaxy announced this week that they will field a team in MLS NEXT Pro beginning in 2023. Though the Galaxy said a venue for the developmental team would be announced in the coming months, OCSC said the MLS side is targeting their current home stadium.

“The USL is disappointed by the news that the City of Irvine would even consider terminating Orange County SC’s tenancy at Championship Soccer Stadium in Great Park and provide exclusive use to the LA Galaxy’s developmental team. In response, we are working closely with OCSC to explore legal and contractual options,” said USL president Jake Edwards.

Pro Soccer Wire reached out to the Galaxy for a statement on the matter, and will update this piece when we have a response.

OCSC has played at Championship Soccer Stadium inside Orange County Great Park since 2017.

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Riqui Puig leaves Barcelona for LA Galaxy in MLS transfer stunner

Puig’s move to the Galaxy is a game-changer for MLS

Riqui Puig leaving Barcelona is not an enormous shock. A move to MLS with the LA Galaxy, though? That’s major news.

One of Barca’s top young prospects is swapping the Mediterranean coast for the Pacific, signing with the Galaxy as the MLS transfer window comes to a close.

Surprisingly, the LA Times is reporting that Puig is joining the Galaxy on a free transfer. The Galaxy did not note terms of the deal beyond saying that Targeted Allocation Money (TAM) was involved. Per reports from Fabrizio Romano, Barcelona retained a percentage of any future transfer fee the Galaxy get if they move Puig on sometime in the future.

Puig, 22, has 57 appearances for Barca across all competitions since making his senior team debut in December 2018. Since the start of the 2020-21 season, Puig has been a full-time member of the Barcelona squad, putting together 29 league appearances and scoring twice.

While MLS clubs have signed players from the world’s biggest clubs, it’s virtually unheard of for a player at this age who is regularly in uniform for a club like Barcelona to move to MLS, especially when the move involves a transfer fee. Puig made Xavi’s gameday squad in all 38 of Barca’s league matches in 2021-22, and appeared in each of their final four games of the season.

While Barcelona’s much-publicized financial problems may play a part here, it still seems like a move that shifts the terrain within MLS. Even the league’s most ambitious clubs have only just started to recruit players from Europe’s giants before they turn 30, with Toronto FC’s double swoop for Lorenzo Insigne and Federico Bernardeschi at the cutting edge.

Puig would figure to be the centerpiece for a Galaxy midfield that seems to be undergoing a major overhaul. Just this year, LA has traded for Mark Delgado, and only just signed Uruguayan ballwinner Gastón Brugman earlier in this transfer window. Rayan Raveloson, who joined the Galaxy in 2021, has played more minutes than any other field player on the team this season.

Greg Vanney’s side currently sit in ninth place, two points behind the Seattle Sounders for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference.

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Chicharito no pudo ocultar su alegría por enfrentar a Chivas

Ahora la pregunta que nos queda es ¿les quiere ganar o querrá que ganen sus Chivas de corazón?

Este miercoles el LA Galaxy recibirá a las Chivas de Guadalajara para un encuentro amistoso como parte del Showcase de la Leagues Cup. Aunque fuera de su estadio, los rojiblancos se sentirán como en casa, gracias a la gran cantidad de aficionados angelinos que los apoyará desde las gradas.

Pero, el cariño por las Chivas no solo se sentirá desde las tribunas, sino también desde la cancha, entre los oponentes. Aunque Chicharito Hernández ha ido y venido en el futbol internacional, su corazón nunca dejará de ser chiva, por lo que él mismo dijo que se siente emocionado de volver a jugar con las Chivas, aunque sea en su contra.

“Será un partido muy bonito y para mí jugar con Chivas tiene algo muy especial, por la historia, el cómo se dio mi pase a Europa y cómo se desenvolvió mi carrera. Será especial ver jugadores con los que estuve en Selección, no sólo en Chivas y saludar a trabajadores del club”, dijo el mexicano.

La última vez que Chicharito jugó contra Chivas fue 12 años atrás, por lo que el reencuentro será muy emocionante para él. Ahora la pregunta que nos queda es ¿les quiere ganar o querrá que ganen sus Chivas de corazón?

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La advertencia de Chicharito a Carlos Vela previo al Clásico del Tránsito

Nosotros lo mínimo que queremos es un buen espectáculo y que gane el mejor. ¿Con quién van, LAFC o Galaxy?

Esta noche el LAFC de Carlos Vela y el LA Galaxy de Chicharito Hernández se vuelven a enfrentar en el Clásico del Tránsito. El encuentro ya era una favorito en la MLS, pero ahora que ha crecido la rivalidad entre ambos mexicanos, se vuelve aún más emocionante.

Previo al juego de esta noche, Chicharito lanzó unas palabras de advertencia hacia su connacional, después de que Carlos Vela dijera en rueda de prensa que no le importa que tenga compañeros en el Galaxy, que solo quiere ganar.

“Yo voy a defender a los blancos a muerte, y Carlos va a defender a los de la camiseta negra a muerte. Ojalá que los de blanco terminemos más felices que ellos”, respondió Chicharito.

Chicharito ha anotado tres goles en enfrentamientos ante el LAFC. Sin embargo, destacó un muy buen punto, y es que no importa la cantidad de goles que anote el de Guadalajara si al final pierde su equipo.

“De nada va a servir si hago goles y perdemos. Lo importante es buscar el resultado, como sea. Obviamente, siempre vamos a querer tener la portería en cero y meter la mayor cantidad de goles posibles. Va a ser un partido muy bonito, en su cancha. Ellos vienen de ser primeros, más allá del resultado que tuvieron en Vancouver, nosotros venimos de un gran resultado contra Montréal”, detalló,

“En lo único en lo que me enfoco es en mi actitud, en la responsabilidad que tengo dentro y fuera del campo para poder darlo todo, y que mañana pueda ayudar al equipo”.

Nosotros lo mínimo que queremos es un buen espectáculo y que gane el mejor. ¿Con quién van, LAFC o Galaxy?

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Sacramento Republic into US Open Cup semifinals after stunning upset of LA Galaxy

The cupsets keep coming

Sacramento Republic pulled off one of the biggest U.S. Open Cup shocks in recent memory, going on the road to win Tuesday’s quarterfinal against the LA Galaxy.

Rodrigo López struck early for Sacramento, who took the lead in the 4th minute, only for the Galaxy to get level via an 18th minute own goal off of a corner kick. Luis Felipe then scored a long-range winner in the 70th minute, with Sacramento hanging on confidently to their lead eventually finishing the match with four more shot attempts than the Galaxy (15-11).

Greg Vanney only mildly rotated his team, and even sent Javier “Chicharito” Hernández and Victor Vázquez in for the final half-hour trying to keep LA in the tournament, but in the end Sacramento authored the sixth win by a club somewhere in USL over an MLS team in this year’s competition. Sacramento has two of those, as they defeated the San Jose Earthquakes in the round of 16.

Both goals came from former MLS players, and in fact both played for Galaxy rivals. López’s first professional contract saw him sign with Chivas USA in 2005, while Luis Felipe spent three seasons with San Jose.

Sacramento entered the quarterfinal as the only remaining USL Championship club left in the Open Cup, and one of two non-MLS sides still in with a chance. Union Omaha, the last remaining USL League One team, plays Wednesday against Sporting Kansas City, and another upset there would guarantee the first lower-league finalist since 2008, as Sacramento and Omaha would be paired in the semifinal.

See Sacramento take down the Galaxy

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