Versatile and Vital: Diego Fagundez Chasing Milestone in New Midfield Role
Fagundez has been a key figure in the LA Galaxy's locker room and established himself in a new position on the pitch
With two games left in the season, LA Galaxy midfielder Diego Fagundez is on the verge of history.
He is just one goal and one assist shy of joining Major League Soccer’s exclusive 80/80 club.
For more than a decade, Fagundez has been one of MLS’s most consistent playmakers, growing from a teenage prodigy in New England to a veteran leader in Los Angeles. Now, in his 15th MLS season, he has the chance to cement his place among the league’s most productive midfielders.
The 30-year-old has been in top form lately, contributing to a goal in each of his last five matches. It’s a surge that’s given the Galaxy a much-needed spark as they look to escape the bottom of the MLS standings.
Position Shift
Fagundez has spent most of his career playing as a winger or as an attacking midfielder. His early days with the New England Revolution saw him used as a dynamic wide threat, and he evolved into a wide playmaker during his time with Austin FC.
The next evolution of Fagundez has happened this season as he’s played a pace-setting No. 8 next to Edwin Cerrillo. Learning and adapting to a new position on the pitch could seem like a challenge, but Vanney expressed how Fagundez’s soccer IQ made this transition easier.
“He’s a very good soccer player, first and foremost, versatile in terms of his ability to play,” he told reporters on Thursday.
“As you get older, you hope you get wiser. As you get wiser, maybe you get a little more versatile and flexible. And he certainly has played a big role for us, because he’s done so many different jobs.”
Fagundez has played in 41 games this season across all competitions for the LA Galaxy. He’s been one of the Galaxy’s most reliable players this season, providing cover across multiple midfield roles.
This season has seen Fagundez record a career high in passes completed (50.8), passes attempted (59.1), completion percentage (86.1%), completed passes into the final third (5.47), completed passes into the penalty area (2), and completed progressive passes (6.7) on a per 90 basis according to FBREF.com’s data.
“When [Fagundez] dropped down to that line next to [Cerrillo] and Marco [Reus] was ahead of him, I felt like that was probably our best stretch of the season. And just the continuity of those three together was, I think, created a lot of important sort of connections in the midfield and the control of the midfield that I think is so important with the way we want to play the game,” said Vanney.
'“You need guys like that in the locker room”
Aside from his importance on the pitch, Fagundez is even more crucial to the locker room environment.
“He’s a guy who connects with the Spanish-speaking players, you know, he connects with the young college guys that are American. He connects with everybody in there,” said Vanney.
After Gaston Brugman and Martin Caceres departed in the offseason and without Riqui Puig this season due to injury, Fagundez stepped up as the leader of the Spanish contingent of the LA Galaxy.
Fagundez has an intensity to his personality. He’ll let his teammates know when he wants the quality to improve, and he’s also the first to come to their defense on the pitch. In a season that’s seen the Galaxy sit at the bottom of the table all season, he provides that spark to keep the intensity going.
“He just has a great way of sharing those things or saying those things to individuals or to the group, that it doesn’t come across as personal or emotional or anything else. It just comes across as it’s just the facts,” said Vanney.
“That’s a skill, and that’s an art, and he can do it in a way that he keeps trust with everybody in there. And you need guys like that in the locker room.
One of the players who’s dealt with that is center back Chris Rindov. He’s in the midst of his first MLS games with LA Galaxy after spending most of the season with Ventura County FC in MLS Next Pro.
“[Fagundez] has been a huge help for me personally. He’s obviously an older guy, the vet in the league and on this team, and he’s been very helpful just giving me little tips here and there,” said Rindov.
“I make mistakes in training, and he points it out in a harsh but true way. He’s not just yelling at me to yell at me. He’s yelling at me to teach. And I’ve kind of really enjoyed that,” he added.
With two games to go, the possibility of Fagundez reaching this career milestone is something Rindov is aware of.
“I think if we can get it this season, that’s great. But I’m sure he’ll get an opportunity next season as well, if it doesn’t happen. Whoever scores goes with it and takes it, and if it happens to be him, you know, it's going to be even better.
Whether or not he hits the 80/80 mark this season, Fagundez’s influence on and off the pitch has already made him one of the Galaxy’s most trusted leaders, a veteran who’s helping shape the club’s next generation despite his future with the club being unclear after this season.