CARSON, Calif. – It was an emotional weekend for LA Galaxy defender A.J. DeLaGarza.
DeLaGarza captained the LA Galaxy in his 200th career appearance for the club in their 2-1 victory over Columbus Crew SC on Saturday. The appearance made DeLaGarza one of only five players to play 200 or more games for the Galaxy, joining club legends Cobi Jones, Landon Donovan, Kevin Hartman, and Mauricio Cienfuegos.
“It means I’ve been here a long time. It’s an honor to be at the same club for a long time and to be at a club so established as the Galaxy who are the best franchise in MLS," DeLaGarza said on Monday. "It’s an incredible feat. I can be proud of that, and I now look forward to appearance 201, 202, and keep it going as long as I can.”
What made DeLaGarza’s achievement even more meaningful was the fact that it occurred on the weekend of the two-year anniversary of the passing of his son Luca due to complications of Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome. To honor his late son, DeLaGarza wore a black armband with the name LUCA inscribed in bright stitching.
After a week of tributes celebrating Luca’s birth, DeLaGarza was ecstatic to cap off his emotional week with an accomplishment on the field.
“I would have liked for it to happen last week, but it’s good,” DeLaGarza said with a grin. “It was a special week in my life and to cap it off with being captain, my 200th game, and most importantly, a win was big. Going into September, we need to start going on a roll."
