{"id":45370,"date":"2022-10-22T20:21:19","date_gmt":"2022-10-23T00:21:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/?p=45370"},"modified":"2022-10-22T20:21:19","modified_gmt":"2022-10-23T00:21:19","slug":"galaxy-proud-despite-defeat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/soccer\/2022\/10\/22\/galaxy-proud-despite-defeat\/","title":{"rendered":"Galaxy Should Be Proud, Despite Defeat"},"content":{"rendered":"

The players are on vacation already, but most Galaxy fans will still be shaking their heads, wondering what could\u2019ve been.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Galaxy Should Be Proud, Despite Defeat<\/h2>\n
\"The
The best fan base in Los Angeles should be proud of their efforts and that of the Galaxy, despite the loss. (Photo credit: Los Angeles Galaxy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The best fan base in Los Angeles has had a few days to digest Thursday night\u2019s 3-2 El Tr\u00e1fico loss<\/a> at Banc of California Stadium to LAFC in the Western Conference Semifinal, but the time probably hasn\u2019t made it any easier to stomach.<\/span><\/p>\n

A heart-wrenching stoppage time goal scored against the run of play by LAFC\u2019s Cristian \u201cChicho\u201d Arango on 93 minutes secured LAFC the win and a spot in the next round of the playoffs.<\/span><\/p>\n

In a back-and-forth match which the Galaxy controlled large parts of, it was LAFC who found a goal to prevail and end the Galaxy\u2019s season in the process.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Disappointment<\/h2>\n

After giving up a corner kick deep in injury time, Galaxy Goalkeeper Jonathan Bond initially saved Denis Bouanga\u2019s shot from close range, but Arango fired the rebound shot into the top corner of the net for the 3-2 game-winner.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Blue, white, and gold hearts were sunk in an instant. In an instant, three months of bleak midwinter with no Galaxy soccer.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe were pretty close there. We give up a corner kick at the end, and we just don\u2019t defend it well\u2026 and then the corner kick was certainly the difference at that point,\u201d Galaxy Head Coach Greg Vanney said of the game\u2019s defining play, the end to another typical El Tr\u00e1fico roller coaster.<\/span><\/p>\n

Galaxy Captain Javier \u201cChicharito\u201d Hern\u00e1ndez probably summed up how most Galaxy fans were feeling post-match. It is a feeling that Galaxy fans will carry into next season\u2019s season opener at the Rose Bowl on February 25, 2023.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIt\u2019s going to be very difficult to tell you in different words other than pain and disappointment. You\u2019re not going to hear anything different. That\u2019s the feeling that I have\u2026 We probably could have maintained the 2-2 result in the end. Disappointment. We need to leave this pain and transform it into something positive for next season.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A Reason To Be Proud<\/h2>\n

But much like the 11 warriors on the field did during the match, in which the Galaxy battled back to tie twice, Galaxy fans everywhere should lift their heads proudly in defiance.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"LA
Los Angeles Galaxy Winger Samuel Grandsir score LA’s first goal of the game off a lovely volley. (Photo Credit: Los Angeles Galaxy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Los Angeles was never supposed to be here.<\/span><\/p>\n

Yes, Galaxy fans expect championships, but, save for the arrivals of midfield reinforcements, LA probably would\u2019ve watched these playoffs from home.<\/span><\/p>\n

The arrivals of Gaston Brugman and Riqui Puig transformed the Galaxy\u2019s season at a moment when they were outside the playoff picture. They steadied the ship after a nine-game stretch where the Galaxy won just twice and fan fears were at a fever pitch about missing the playoffs again.<\/span><\/p>\n

Consistency<\/h2>\n

If there was one thing Vanney was looking for in the team this season, it was consistency. Brugman and Puig brought stability to a Galaxy midfield that allowed the team to go on its best run in the Vanney era.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A set-piece goal is the only thing that stood in the way of a truly special, almost unthought-of playoff run.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m really proud of our guys. It\u2019s been a hell of a stretch of games that the guys have put together in the last 12, 13 games. And battled until the very end. And the game came down to a couple plays here or there, you know? The most important thing, now, is I\u2019m proud of this group,\u201d the second-year coach expressed.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019ve come a long way since a year and a half ago, two years ago. I think this group has proven that they\u2019re capable of winning things. Tonight it didn\u2019t go our way, but we certainly had our moments where we were in control of the match in good stretches.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

What a Difference a Year Makes<\/h2>\n

Vanney is right, of course. This is a club that hadn\u2019t made the playoffs in four of the last five years. Galaxy fans must admit progress has been made, no matter what they thought of the El Tr\u00e1fico loss.<\/span><\/p>\n

It’s almost like they\u2019ll have to start to \u201ctrust the process.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Last year, a Decision Day disaster<\/a> left LA watching the playoffs from their couches.<\/span><\/p>\n

In this campaign, the Galaxy got hot at the right time and took the supposed \u201cbest\u201d team in MLS down to the wire.<\/span><\/p>\n

A few bounces go a different way, and the Galaxy would have been just a match away from MLS Cup. In this way, the Galaxy should be proud, despite defeat.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019m proud of the growth that the group made. I think they, you know, especially here in the playoffs, they played two big games where there was a lot on the line. We played a number of games down the stretch of the season where we felt like every game mattered. That\u2019s something this group needed to go through, is to play these types of important matches,\u201d Vanney said in praise of the team.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve seen the group kind of grow together as men. And, the qualities of the group came out.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

To Build Forward<\/strong><\/h2>\n
\"Los
Los Angeles Galaxy Goalkeeper Jonathan Bond claims that for the Galaxy to have a successful year next season, they need to win MLS Cup. (Photo Credit: Los Angeles Galaxy)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The challenge will now be to keep the momentum going.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And the Captain immediately tried to look at the positives despite the defeat. Chicharito spoke of transforming the pain of disappointment into something positive for the Galaxy.<\/span><\/p>\n

A reminder they will need to keep progressing.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

And if last year, the team used missing the postseason as motivation to make the playoffs this year, who knows what heights losing to your city rival can propel you to?\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cIf we are mature, and we are conscientious, we can create something big from here. Obviously, right now there are no words to describe the pain of losing against your neighbors, and the rivalry\u2026 In the last minute\u2026 With tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, we\u2019re going to start taking out the positives as well and be very critical with ourselves individually and as a group.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

But Vanney and Bond had already started looking at themselves post-match.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

More importantly, they both started looking ahead to next year.<\/span><\/p>\n

When asked what success looked like for the Galaxy next season, both answered \u201cMLS Cup,\u201d without missing a beat.<\/span><\/p>\n

The Next Step<\/h2>\n
\n

From every match to every minute\u2014your support was undying.<\/p>\n

Thank you, \ud835\udd72\u2019s \ud83d\udc99\ud83e\udd0d\ud83d\udc9b pic.twitter.com\/sU6IdWmrpv<\/a><\/p>\n

— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) October 21, 2022<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n