CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy defender David Romney was watching a replay of last Saturday’s 3-0 loss to the Houston Dynamo and couldn’t help but smile.
He wasn’t grinning because of head coach Bruce Arena’s post-game comments in which he said he thought Romney might have been the team’s best player on an otherwise forgettable night for the defending MLS Cup champions. Nor was he grinning after he got a chance to play in a league game.
The 22-year-old, suddenly thrust into action with the first team because left back Robbie Rogers’ suspension and an injury to Todd Dunivant, smiled after hearing television analyst Cobi Jones provide information on Romney’s background to the viewing audience.
“I wasn’t too surprised,” he said after training. “I’m sure 99 percent of the audience was wondering who this number 67 is. It’s practically number 100, as high as it gets up there.
“It was weird watching and hearing Cobi Jones say stuff about me. He was someone I grew up watching here.”
But now he’s playing here. Romney, who was born and raised in Irvine, went to University High School, played for a number of years with club team Irvine Strikers and attended the University of San Francisco, where he was an All-West Coast Conference second-team selection in 2014. He was signed by Galaxy II prior to the start of this season and has made solid appearances with the first team, including 45-minute stints against Club America and FC Barcelona and a solid 90-minute performance in Houston.
Veteran right back Dan Gargan was impressed last weekend.
“For a young defender to not really have any opportunities with the first team, doesn’t train that often and then step into a game I thought he performed admirably,” he said.
Arena has liked what he has seen so far from the 6-foot-2, 175-pound defender.
“He’s athletic and has good size for center back or left back … a rare combination,” he said. “I think he’s got the qualities that can help any team’s roster.”
Romney called his first-team debut against Club America on July 11 at StubHub Center “a nerve-wracking experience” and it wasn’t until after the game started that he felt comfortable.
“I had no clue what to expect,” he said.
Romney surprisingly felt at ease 10 days later against FC Barcelona despite playing in front of a Rose Bowl crowd of more than 93,000.
“In my head it was like, ‘If I don’t play that well it’s Barcelona. Not a lot of people play well against Barcelona,’ ” he said. “I just went out, tried to relax and enjoy the atmosphere. I think that calming presence let me play well against Barcelona, then the Houston game I was thinking, ‘There can’t be anything too crazy I can’t handle.’
“I played simple and relaxed in the first half, then got a little more aggressive in the second half.”
Romney said he was surprised when he heard about Arena’s praise – “It’s nice to get that confidence boost,” he said – and he’s now confident he has a future in MLS.
“I think so,” he said. “I think I have the athleticism to play in this league, I think I have the intelligence. It’s all a matter of fulfilling my potential.
“I have a lot of years of hard work ahead of me and I’m up for it and I’m excited for it.”