What a year 2025 has been. If you’ve followed the Loons at all, you’ll be aware of the number of records they’ve already broken this season, raising the Black and Blue bar and redefining what a good season can look like at Allianz Field. If you’ve been following their Decision Day opponents, you’ve been privy to a slightly…different story.
After going winless through their first 12 games of the season, the LA Galaxy were branded as “the worst defending champions in league history,” and their hope for the season seemed to have completely dissipated long before the halfway point. It was rough all around, and it left people asking, “What went wrong?”
Well, folks, my take isn’t earth-shattering here. I mean, when you lose the rightful league MVP for the entire season, it’s tough to play the way you used to, let alone mount a title defense.
Did you catch that? I agree that 2024’s MLS MVP should have been a former Barcelona player; I disagree with which coast he came from, though. I’m not making excuses for the Galaxy in this edition of Storylines. I’m merely taking a moment to express my admiration for what might be the best midfielder to ever play in our league and perhaps acknowledging that his absence during 2025 may have had something to do with his team’s drop in form. Enter, Mr. Puig.
El Motor
Like I said, it’s not a shocking claim to say that the Galaxy were worse without Puig. But let’s look at the stats. Last season, the bounciest Spaniard in the league was everywhere for his team. If you look at passing metrics alone, his influence on the game becomes abundantly clear—and impressive. He completed the most passes in the league (2,443) by more than 200. He passed the ball a total of 43,286 yards, the highest total distance in the league by over 3,000 yards. He completed 425 progressive passes, more than 100 more than the second-best in the league.
But the evidence doesn’t stop there. Puig racked up 3,146 touches in 2024, over 300 more than the next highest in MLS. He carried the ball 5,000 yards further than anyone else, received 2,769 passes (about 700 more than second place), and managed to add a total of 28 goals and assists on top of all that. Did I mention that he did all of that in just 29 games? Imagine his numbers if he’d played all 34.
Are you sick of these stats yet? Sorry, Messi fans; Puig was the best former Barca man in the league last season, and I’d love to argue with you further. I’ll win.
He was simply always on the ball, and because he was, he made everyone on his team better. His work rate and eagerness to get on the ball are reminiscent of some of the best midfielders to ever play the game, and his Barca education couldn’t be clearer when you watch him play. He allowed his team to worry less about connecting and more about getting into positions that enabled them to do their individual jobs best. In Riqui they could trust, because the little magician would always get the ball and give it to them. That’s what a midfielder does.
El Galaxy
By now, the case is abundantly clear; there is no one in this league that plays quite like Riqui Puig, let alone another Galaxy player that could step into his shoes and perform at the same level he did in 2024. So, when they discovered that he would be out for a whole season, how could they replace him?
The only midfielders in the league that beat Puig from an attacking production standpoint were Evander and Lucho Acosta, neither of whom could match his passing and work rate. The only midfielder that came close to his connective ability was Artur, and he lacked the attacking threat that Puig offers. He was a one-man midfield last season, and while the Galaxy may have been able to cobble something together in his absence, I can’t fault them for opting to play the cards they were dealt and simply wait for his return.
In 2024, the eventual champs scored 69 goals and conceded 50, giving them a +19 goal difference and powering them to second place in the Western Conference. This season, with one game to go, they’ve flipped the metrics, scoring just 44 times and conceding 65. One Riqui Puig could’ve drastically changed that -21 goal difference, if you ask me.
While frustration over a “wasted season” is understandable, I personally don’t mind the lack of movement from the Galaxy this year. They filled the midfield hole with players whose sum never really quite equaled one Puig, and though they tried several different methods to get the team going, they never found that magic combination that could see them through this stretch.
The squad is still full of talent, with youngsters waiting to take the next step and veterans leading the way. Players like Elijah Wynder, Edwin Cerrillo, and Isaiah Parente were given valuable minutes this season, and that may turn out to benefit the Galaxy more in the long run than splashing cash on a one-season Puig replacement. If they can hold onto Pec and Paintsil for a little while longer, the winning formula might just reassemble itself when Riqui returns.
That’s enough compliments for today, don’t you think? No matter the struggles they’ve had this year, your Loons still have a game to play, and I don’t know about you, but a decisive win on Decision Day feels like the perfect way to kick off the postseason. We’ll see you on Saturday.
