CARSON, Calif. – If there’s one thing you can say about this year’s LA Galaxy, it’s they are resilient.
How else do you explain putting together a 10-2-9 record for an MLS-high 39 points despite losing the likes of David Beckham, Donovan Ricketts, Chad Barrett, Mike Magee, Sean Franklin, A.J. DeLaGarza and now Omar Gonzalez through injuries or suspensions and not miss a beat?
“It’s the way it’s gone all year,” Landon Donovan said. “It’s part of the process for this team. That’s why (head coach) Bruce (Arena) puts together a team he can rely on and count on.
“This is what it’s probably going to look like probably the rest of the year. We’ll just keep plugging guys in and keep going.
The Galaxy’s resilience has been taken to the limit since the start of the year, when veteran defender Gregg Berhalter missed considerable time with a knee injury while Donovan Ricketts and Omar Gonzalez each missed the first three games of the year with hamstring and shoulder injuries respectively. Things then turned for the worse when center back Leonardo was lost on April 17 in Chicago with a knee injury and subsequent season-ending surgery.
It hasn’t gotten much easier lately, with Beckham missing time with back problems, Ricketts lost again, this time to an arm injury and defenders DeLaGarza and Gonzalez each forced to miss time, but the Galaxy have displayed an impressive ability to adapt.
“We’ve had this problem all season,” Beckham said. “We’ve had players out through injury or suspension, and we just have to overcome when starters are out.
“We’ve got players who are more than capable of stepping in and doing the job the elite players do. It’s what we work hard for, it’s what the players that don’t play as many games work hard for during the week.
“If they need to step in for guys, they’re ready. We’ll be fine.”
Nowhere has the team’s resilience has been challenged as much as on the back line, which has had to press Berhalter into duty despite his recently turning 38, and Bryan Jordan going in at right back. Jordan has seen time there in the past, but he is primarily an attacking player, playing either up front or wide in the midfield.
“When healthy,” Arena said, “We have a team that has options at a number of positions. We happen to be pretty thin in the back. The loss of Leonardo hurt us, then the combination of having Gregg and now Omar out, that’s been a difficult position to fill.
“As we get other players back, that will make it a little bit easier.”
The Galaxy, however, aren’t in the clear yet. Their schedule is going to get even busier once the CONCACAF Champions League begins, and the team’s adaptability figures to be stretched even more.
“Our resilience has been good,” Arena said, “but we’ve got a long way to go. That question will become even more challenging in another month from now.
“To date it’s been real good. Hopefully we can keep it up throughout the year.”
Added Donovan, who missed three games in April with a knee injury, “We’ll just keep plugging guys in and keep going.”
Come watch the Galaxy take on the Columbus Crew on Wednesday, July 20 at 7:30 p.m.! Tickets start at $25, and fans are invited to join us for a pregame Happy Hour in SoccerFest! Happy Hour food and drink specials include $2 Beer, $1 peanuts and $1 popcorn. Plus, the first 6,000 fans in the gates receive a free Galaxy soft lunch box, courtesy of the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County! BUY NOW
Related
Preview: Juggernauts LA, Columbus set to collide at HDC
Galaxy host Columbus on Wednesday and Manchester City on Sunday
Galaxy keeping priorities straight ahead of Crew visit
