CARSON, Calif. – More than anyone on the Galaxy, defender A.J. DeLaGarza knows how difficult it is to win a CONCACAF Champions League match in Mexico.
DeLaGarza is one of two LA Galaxy players—Robbie Keane being the other—who was in the starting XI for the Galaxy’s last two CCL exits, both of which came at the hands of Mexican opposition. The first coming in 2013 when LA fell 3-1 on aggregate to C.F. Monterrey, and again a year later when LA’s first-leg advantage over Club Tijuana quickly deteriorated leading to an eventual 4-3 aggregate defeat.
The veteran defender is determined not to let that happen again when Los Angeles face Santos Laguna in Torreon on Tuesday.
After securing a scoreless first leg draw at StubHub Center on Wednesday, DeLaGarza believes the Galaxy are in the perfect position to avenge their past defeats.
“It’s always hard playing in Mexico, and even though we don’t have a good track record, we have to be ready. Tijuana put us on our heels early a few years ago, so we have to weather that storm early. We have to be smart and make them face their goal early on,” DeLaGarza told LA Galaxy Insider. “We could’ve had a couple of goals the other day, but it’s funny to me how people always say that we’re in trouble when we keep the away goals at zero.
“I remember when we tied Salt Lake in the playoffs in 2014 [at Rio Tinto Stadium] that we were supposedly the team in trouble. It’s just funny that somehow we’re always in trouble, but they have to beat us and if it’s 1-1 or 2-2, we advance. That’s why away goals are so important.”
DeLaGarza expects another tough challenge for Santos when the two teams line up against one another on Tuesday, but the Galaxy’s longest-severing player is confident that LA will be able to weather the storm and book their ticket to the next round.
“We want to keep the crowd as quiet as possible. It’s a hostile environment for sure, and we need to weather that and we need to be smart in the opening 15 minutes,” DeLaGarza said. “The pressure is on them at home. They’ll have to beat us.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
