CARSON, Calif. – The sense of relief was almost palpable for Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena and defender A.J. DeLaGarza last weekend in the nation’s capital.
Not only was Arena getting one of his best players back on the field, but DeLaGarza managed to go the full 90. The end result – a heartbreaking 1-0 loss to D.C. United – wasn’t what they hoped for but it did mark a positive development for the popular veteran.
“It’s important just to get out there,” he said.
The 27-year-old had been sidelined by a bone bruise in his left foot and just over a week ago returned to duty with in Galaxy II’s 0-0 tie with the Real Salt Lake Monarchs. Last Saturday marked his long-awaited return to the first team and Arena knows how important the versatile defender is to his back line, no matter where he plays.
“We get an experienced player, probably one of our least mistake-prone defenders,” he said. “He’s really solid throughout. He passes better than most of our guys out of the back. He keeps it simple, keeps it quick. Defensively he communicates well; he rarely loses his matchup in a game. He is arguably our most consistent defender.
“It’s always nice to have AJ back on the field.”
DeLaGarza, who went just seven minutes in a season-opening 2-0 win over Chicago and had been unavailable since then, admitted he had been feeling antsy for playing time.
“I’ve missed playoff games because of injuries; that was frustrating,” he said. “This was the worst. To miss the preseason … you want to be ready for that first game, the home opener. You want to be out there.
“At the same time you have to be smart. It’s a long season. Hopefully this is that one injury I get a year that’s kept me out.”
The return of DeLaGarza, named the Galaxy’s Defender of the Year in 2014, couldn’t be more timely after center back Leonardo suffered a leg injury in last Saturday’s loss and will likely miss at least this weekend’s game in Vancouver.
DeLaGarza, who said he had a difficult time recovering from his Galaxy II performance – “I think I had a whole roll of kinesio tape on my entire body (Saturday),” he said with a grin -- admitted he isn’t completely healthy but feels good enough to contribute.
“Health-wise I could play a 90-minute game,” he said. “Physically my foot is a little worrisome. Not worrisome, but it still bothers me a little bit. Maybe 80-85 percent?
“It’s just lingering. I feel fine; I can play. Obviously if I take a hard hit on it it’ll be affected. It’s been fine the last couple of weeks … no setbacks, and that’s a positive.
“It’s going in the right direction. I’ve gotten two 90-minute games, that’s important.”
