Los Angeles Galaxy down a star in MLS Cup Final

It took a total team effort from the Los Angeles Galaxy to win on Saturday, 1-0, against the Seattle Sounders FC. With their latest victory, the team has a solid chance at securing a record sixth championship title.

This weekend, they will have to do so with one of their brightest stars, Riqui Puig. Unfortunately, he sustained a torn ACL. The injury will end his 2024 season prematurely.

During the postseason, Puig has scored five goals ahead of the Western Conference Finals. Despite Dejan Joveljic being the only player for either team to score, Puig recorded the assist on the score.

The Galaxy have a deep roster. They had three other players (Joveljic, Pec and Paintsil) score at least ten goals during the regular season. A feat that has never been done before by any team in league history.

Puig's excellent passing skills will be missed, too. He tallied 16 assists on the season and three more during the postseason.

The question remains, who will step up in his absence?

The 4-3-3 formation has worked for Head Coach Greg Vanney all postseason. Thus, it's hard to imagine him shying away from it because of the loss of just one player.

Puig had played alongside Marco Reus and Edwin Cerrillo in the game against Seattle. That was the same lineup Vanney used against Minnesota United FC.

Prior in the closeout game against the Colorado Rapids, the LA Galaxy went with Delgado on the end instead of Reus. That was also the case in Game 1 as Cerrillo and Puig were flipped with the Spaniard playing in the middle.

Marky Delgado is a player capable of stepping into the Starting XI. He only missed two of the Galaxy's 34 regular season games. He also started in 29 of them. Despite only scoring one goal on the year, he contributed seven assists.

Diego Fagundez is no stranger to playing time. He appeared in every game for the Los Angeles Galaxy during the regular season. He started 19 and subbed in the other 15 games.

"Riqui, I don't know exactly what happened. It was right at the end of the game, and next thing I know he was walking off the field, and I don't know exactly what the situation is and what happened."

- Greg Vanney, Head Coach of the LA Galaxy

The 29-year-old from Uruguay found the back of the net four times and assisted three other goals in 34 games. Fagundez and Delgado would serve as the most likely candidates to replace Puig at midfield.

That still gives Vanney the option to bring in Gaston Brugman who appeared in 22 contests for the Galaxy out of their 34 games. Though he never scored, his passing skills led to two of them.

Another utility player on the roster is defender Juilan Aude. He has been inserted ahead of the defensive line at times. During the regular season, he scored once and assisted in two others.

Injuries kept him out of action during the season as he missed nine games and starting just 21 of them. Brugman and Aude now provide depth behind Cerrillo, Reus and the third starter.

Hope is not loss for the Los Angeles Galaxy who are playing in a league-high tenth MLS Finals. The five-time MLS Champs will host the Eastern Conference's seventh seed, the New York Red Bulls. Though the task of winning is now harder without Puig, there are enough stars in Carson, California to get the job done.

Prediction: Los Angeles Galaxy 3, New York Red Bulls 1.