VANCOUVER, B.C. – What a difference a year makes.
A year ago, today, Sebastian Lletget suffered the most agonizing evening of his life. Now, 365 days later, the midfielder captained his LA Galaxy side to a valuable point on the road in Vancouver.
On the one-year anniversary of his injury, Lletget donned the captain’s armband for the first time in his Galaxy career. Charged with leading a short-handed group depleted with injuries and international absences, Lletget helped his squad stay resolute as they earned a 0-0 draw against Vancouver Whitecaps FC on Saturday.
“It was an honor especially with the club of this stature,” Lletget told LAGalaxy.com. “To represent and lead this team in such a way was an honor and a great experience.”
During his 81 minutes of action, head coach Sigi Schmid charged his typically offensive-minded attacker to play a more defensive role, and Lletget proved to be up for the task. Wherever the Galaxy needed him, Lletget delivered: whether it was his distribution or his ability to win the ball.
Despite his defensive stance, 25-year-old nearly helped the Galaxy take the lead in the 78th minute with a long-range shot that forced Vancouver to make their lone save of the evening.
Although Lletget is known for his beautiful play on the ball, the gritty style suited him just fine.
“It wasn’t pretty and we apologize to the fans for that, but we’ve got to do what we got to do,” Lletget said.
