From the Grounds: Welcome Billy Sharp and Captain Puig
Billy Sharp made his first media appearance and Riqui Puig talks about becoming club captain
The LA Galaxy are preparing for their first MLS match since mid-July as Real Salt Lake comes to town on August 21. There is set to be some wet weather on matchday as rain and winds from Hurricane Hillary are set to affect Southern California. As of publishing, there is no update on whether the game will be postponed.
Update: The match has been postponed, game will be played on Oct. 14 at 7:30 PST. Tickets originally purchased for the Aug. 20 original match date between the LA Galaxy and Real Salt Lake will be honored for the rescheduled match date on Saturday, Oct. 14. Additionally, Sigi Schmid will be inducted into the club’s Ring of Honor on the rescheduled date against RSL on Oct. 14.
LA’s last MLS match ended in a 4-2 loss to the Vancouver Whitecaps while RSL defeated the New York Red Bulls to extend their unbeaten streak to nine games. The two clubs have faced off twice this season with each winning 3-2.
The Galaxy achieved their first road win of the season against Salt Lake in late May. On the other hand, RSL got revenge by knocking out the Galaxy in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup a week later.
Mark Delgado is questionable for the Sunday night matchup. Vanney said he is “hopeful, but not sure” and mentioned he’s still dealing with some discomfort during motions. They are looking to have him on the pitch by next week against Chicago.
The club will be honoring the late Sigi Schmid by inducting him into the Ring of Honor at Dignity Health Sports Park at halftime. The first 10,000 fans to arrive at Dignity Health Sports Park will receive a Sigi Schmid scarf as they enter the gates.
Hello Billy
37-year-old Billy Sharp appeared in front of reporters following Friday’s training session. The Englishman is aware of the impact and legacy of Schmid when asked at the start of the media availability showing he’s learning about his new club. After an entire career in England, Sharp’s adventure into the U.S. is an opportunity he didn’t want to pass by.
He added, “I jumped at the chance, the opportunity was brilliant. It's something I've always wanted to do so. It's finally here and I'm looking forward to get going,” he said. “Hopefully I can join up with the team soon and they've welcomed me with open arms. They've been really kind to me since I joined. The coach and all the staff have been very welcoming,” added Sharp.
“'I’m enjoying my time and [Vanney has] given me the opportunity to play for this magnificent football club.” Sharp is in the country with his two kids and made sure to note how much they are enjoying the weather and the beach.
When talking about the Englishman, Vanney raved about having a player with leadership qualities in the squad. Sharp’s goalscoring record in the English Championship adds more pedigree to the striker core that’s struggled all season long.
Sharp is no stranger to playoffs. With most of his career (12 seasons) spent in the English Championship, he’s used to being part of teams fighting to make the promotion playoffs. He knows the recipe to make it out of the rat race.
“At this stage of the season when you've got 12 games to go, If you can start winning games and build some momentum, you can go into the playoffs as one of the favorites,” he said. With a dozen matches to go, there is little room for errors given the Galaxy’s standing in the Western Conference.
The Young Skipper
August 19th will make one year since Riqui Puig made his debut for the LA Galaxy. Today, the 24-year-old Spaniard is captaining the squad as the club attempts to go on a good run of form to qualify for the MLS Cup playoffs.
With unfortunate season-ending injuries to Javier “Chicharito” Hernadez and Gaston Brugman, Puig was given the captain’s armband in the Galaxy’s last match against Vancouver in Leagues Cup. It’s a role that Vanney has seen the Spaniard embrace.
“I think he's taken to it quite well, to be honest,” said Vanney. “Sometimes when you're a younger player, even with the quality of Riqui and you become the captain, you realize you take on a broader responsibility in the group and he's been very positive bringing guys along keeping guys locked in.”
“When your best players and specifically Riqui are engaged like that, it means everybody has to be in ” - Greg Vanney
“I've been given the captain's armband after 2-3 major injuries, I believe that says a lot about the moment the club is going through,” noted Puig when I asked him about becoming club captain for the rest of the season.
He added “I’m happy to be able to represent this club with the captain’s armband and I hope we can lead the team to victories and win our final league games,” said Puig.
“I came [ To the club] around this time last year, we were also in a similar situation. I think we've added three to four good reinforcements I think this will help us a lot in our group,” said Puig. “The confidence is high, we are training well, we have a lot of confidence in the team and in the coach, and looking forward to Sunday.”