When A.J. DeLaGarza went down injured early in the first half against Seattle on July 4, a nervous hush fell over The Home Depot Center crowd. One of the most versatile young defenders in MLS, DeLaGarza had been a constant in the LA defense this season, stepping in wherever he was called upon, so seeing him carried off the field was a potentially big blow for the club.
However, after missing just a single game, DeLaGarza was back on the field partnering Gregg Berhalter in central defense on Wednesday, July 13 against Seattle in the Open Cup and then again on Saturday, July 16 against Real Madrid.
LAGalaxy.com caught up with the third-year defender from Maryland to see what he thought about his return from injury, the schedule ahead and holding on to the top spot in the Western Conference.
Were you worried that you had suffered a serious injury against the Sounders and when did you know that you would be able to come back sooner than later?
“The day after the Seattle game (on July 4) I thought I’d be okay because I was able to come in, do some biking and other stuff with no problems or side effects. That was a good sign and I was able to progress to do some running and weight lifting and I felt good before practicing the two days before the Open Cup game.”
You returned to the field in the Open Cup against Seattle, how did you feel?
“It felt good to be out on the field, except for the first 15 minutes or so where I wasn’t mentally prepared correctly. Physically my head is fine, but mentally I wasn’t where I needed to be to start the game and it’s disappointing because I cost the team.”
Since you joined the Galaxy in 2009 you have never missed more than a few games here and there because of injury, is this something that you have always been known for?
“Knock on wood I have never missed a significant amount of playing time because of an injury. I’ve missed a game or two here and there, but nothing too serious thankfully. I’m a little guy so I’ve gotten a few bone bruises and things like that, but never anything major.”
There have been quite a few injuries in defense this season, have you ever seen anything like this and how has the team been able to overcome it?
“I think that Gregg mentioned it the other day, we have had a lot of injuries in the back. We’ve had two center backs go down with season ending injuries and the rest of us have all missed time except Todd but we’re still second in the league in goals allowed, so we have to be doing something right. We’re a good bunch of guys, who work hard as a group every time we step on the field, no matter whether it is training, a friendly or a league game.”
One thing that you have been known for here with the Galaxy is your versatility. Is there one position that you prefer to play and how would you say your season has gone so far?
“I thought that I’ve been okay. I’ve had to play in a number of different positions which is tough, moving from the center to the right is a bit of a challenge, so I just have to keep my focus and get better. I’m still more comfortable in the middle just because that’s where I played in club soccer and through college.”
As a player how much do you like playing in friendly games?
“It’s exciting in games like [Sunday's game against Manchester City] to play against guys that we have looked up to for a long time and it’s an honor to be on the field with them. That said, we go out and give it our best in these games, play as hard as we can and because they are in preseason, they are going to do that as well to try and impress their coach and show him that they deserve to be in the starting XI.”
And what do you know about Sunday’s opponent Manchester City?
“I saw the roster that they are bringing and they have some unbelievable players on there so it is going to be a challenge. They’re a pretty big team and we’re fairly small so that could present a problem. It’s going to be a challenge, but like I said earlier we are going to go out there and play hard and try to put on a good showing.”
Finally, the Galaxy are still on top of the league, how important is it to maintain that position?
“It’s big because we have the Champions League coming up so other teams are going to be able to catch up to us in the standings. It’s important to stay on top and get as many points as we can to keep that lead.”
