Players and coaches from both MLS Cup finalists were emotional when discussing Puig's ACL injury, impact on the game

Mark Delgado choked up as he spoke.

"Our heart is with him," the LA Galaxy midfielder said during a media call about his injured teammate Riqui Puig. "It definitely gives us the reason to give our all for him."

It has been an emotional week for the Galaxy. The team celebrated their return to Major League Soccer's biggest stage – MLS Cup – after a 10-year absence. But the victory came at a heavy cost. During the second half of the Western Conference Final against the Seattle Sounders, Puig tore his ACL. Unknown to most, he played 30 more minutes with the injury, delivering the game’s decisive moment: an extraordinary assist to Dejan Joveljic for the lone goal in a 1-0 win.

Now, as they prepare to host the New York Red Bulls in the final, LA is coping with the absence of their star playmaker.

"He's the ultimate competitor," Galaxy manager Greg Vanney said. "He wants to win, compete, and take responsibility on the field. He drives the team in so many ways."

Delgado echoed those sentiments.

"Special player. Everyone can see that. Definitely irreplaceable, right? He just brings something completely different than anybody can really bring," he said. "So, yeah, and that aspect, you're really gonna miss them, yeah, and then yeah, we just, we have to move forward, you know, the game stops for no one, and we just got to sort it out."

Where does LA go from here?

Vanney admitted there isn't a like-for-like replacement for the Galaxy star, who was one of MLS's MVP nominee. The manager is considering many different options, including potentially a formation change.

"We're going to have to adapt, and we're going to have to adapt in a collective way," Vanney emphasized. "It's not any one player who's going to step on and doesn't do what Ricky has done for us."

Puig had an MVP-consideration worthy season with 13 goals and 15 assists, but Vanney highlighted all of the unique wrinkles of Puig's game that don't show up on the stats sheet, from how he controls tempo to how the former Barcelona academy product can channel a moment of magic – similar to his game-winning assist – to change games.

But an underrated aspect might be the midfielder's presence on defense. The 25-year-old, according to his coach, can read sequences well and react intelligently as things are in motion. Without Puig, the various skill sets that he brings will likely need to be handled by a committee, and the approach will have to change due to the heavy press the Red Bull organization is known for.

"We need to make sure that that the ball is not sticking on anyone's foot, that it's moving quick, and that we're combining, and that we're in the right spaces at the right times, and then we're able to play through that press," he said.

One player who could be potentially counted is summer signing Marco Reus. The German legend started in MLS brightly, but has struggled with the same niggling injuries that impacted him in the Bundesliga and Germany and is currently recovering from groin ailment. If he is able to be a factor, he could provide some of the creativity Puig does in transition.

"Marco will see how his health is as the week progresses," Vanney said. "[We] have some optimism that he can get himself turned around and be and be ready for us… The question is, how prepared can we get him for the game this week? And I don't think it's overly significant, super debilitating, but it's also challenging."

In the regular season, Reus has one goal and three assists in six games.

AdvertisementWhere does Puig go from here?

The road to recovery for Puig is a long one, with the midfielder expected to not only miss the 2024 MLS Cup final, but several months of the 2025 season as well. As difficult as the physical recovery is, there is the mental aspect as well.

"Emotionally, he's devastated," Vanney said. "This is what he came here for, is to be in this game that's coming up and to win a championship. And that's what he's been driven and motivated by. And so you can imagine, it's difficult."

Vanney said he hasn't spoken to Puig since the injury occurred Saturday night, but he is among the few members of the upcoming MLS Cup who can understand exactly what Puig is going through. The former MLS and USMNT famously missed out of the 2002 World Cup due to an ACL injury. It was the last time he was considered for a chance to play in the tournament.

"I hope to try to be a resource for him," he said. "But he right now, his family's here too, and so he has a lot of support around him, which is a good thing, but it's, it's hard. It's going to be hard for him, but he's going to be positive for the group. I can already see that in the messages he sent the group. So he's, he's there, and the group's going to want to fight for him on the weekend too, you know, because he's certainly helped us to get here.

IMAGNRed Bulls sympathetic, but focused

Lewis Morgan, more recently, had to overcome a significant injury of his own and used it as motivation this season, securing the 2024 Comeback Player of the Year award after a strong 13-goal, seven-assist campaign.

Despite the forward's Red Bulls side being underdogs for final, he acknowledged his disappointment that the Galaxy won't be at full strength in Saturday's final and offered encouragement to the Spanish midfielder.

"It's not something I would ever wish on any player, especially I've got a sort of broader knowledge of what can happen and what his injuries can be," Morgan said. "He's one of the best, if not being the best midfielder in the league this year, so it's going to be a miss for this cup final. And as a player, you always want to be testing yourself against the top players.

"So I'd certainly took no joy and know that he was going to be missing this game, but I'm sure he's going to be back better."

Sandro Schwarz, the Red Bulls manager, had a more business-like assessment of the injury and what it means for the Galaxy.

"He's a very good player, key player for LA Galaxy. But on the other side, they have a lot of good players, very well, individual players," he said. "They have won a lot of games, especially in the last month, couple of months, especially at home in their stadium. So this is a challenge for us, but we have to be ready. This is our target. We have to be ready."

WHAT NEXT FOR BOTH SIDES?

The LA Galaxy will try to break their own record of MLS Cups with a sixth win when they host the Red Bulls at Dignity Health Sports Park Saturday.