The most impactful player in Saturday’s MLS Cup final won’t even be on the field at Dignity Health Sports Park.
Riqui Puig, the dynamic midfielder who makes the Galaxy’s offense go, has been limping around the team’s training sessions on crutches this week after tearing the ACL in his left knee in the Western Conference final. And his absence from the Galaxy lineup will change the way both teams approach the game.
For Galaxy coach Greg Vanney, it means having to find a replacement for the team’s most irreplaceable player. For the New York Red Bulls, Puig’s absence will influence the way they prepare for the game.