CARSON, Calif. – The LA Galaxy certainly haven’t been the most dominant team in MLS this season, but no one can question their resiliency.
Seventeen different players have missed at least one game because of injuries, international absences, red-card suspension or yellow-card accumulation, but the defending MLS Cup champions somehow keep finding a way to press forward.
That was apparent again during Wednesday’s hard-earned, 1-0 decision over Real Salt Lake in front of a StubHub Center crowd of 13,391.
One starter, midfielder Stefan Ishizaki, couldn’t go because of an apparent stomach virus, but first-year player Ignacio Maganto drew raves for his solid play.
Then there was veteran right back Dan Gargan, who was also ill earlier in the week but somehow gutted it out to go the full 90 minutes in the Galaxy’s second consecutive shutout.
“I felt like I could get through it,” said Gargan, who turns 33 in December. “I didn’t want to let my team down.”
It had been a difficult past few days for the 10-year veteran. He started feeling sick Monday night, came to StubHub Center on Tuesday for a team meeting and then went home. He then spent a difficult night in which he got little, if any, sleep.
But Gargan told Galaxy head coach Bruce Arena, who has been forced to put together a number of patchwork lineups this season, around noon on Wednesday he felt he could play and came through with a solid performance.
His teammates were impressed.
“He was struggling yesterday and put 90 minutes in, a good shift in,” team captain Robbie Keane said of Gargan. “I’m sure he’ll feel it tonight.”
Gargan said it actually was no big deal he found the strength to go the distance.
“There are a lot of guys that are banged up,” he said. “I felt like I could get through it. We have options behind me if I wasn’t able to go, and they’re good players. But I think my teammates were relying on me and I felt like I was able to get through it and I wanted to be out there with them.”
Gargan said he hasn’t been surprised at how the Galaxy have managed to get results despite season-long misfortune.
“I think this locker room is built to withstand those things,” he said. “We believe in every guy that’s in here. I know that’s a cliché, but it’s true.
“When guys step on the field we expect them to perform. Every guy holds himself accountable, first and foremost.
“Keano is out for a month and we picked up results, and that’s what we’re supposed to do.”
