While LA Galaxy managed to pull off a grand escape with a 1-0 clean sheet win against the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference Finals, it does seem that the team’s hopes of finishing it all with a bang may not well be as clear as it is with star Riqui Puig out for the remainder of their impressive campaign.

The team celebrated the Western Conference title as soon as the umpire blew its final whistle, but Puig was definitely distraught on the bench after the team doctors informed him that he tore his ACL, requiring extensive surgery and definitely a huge chunk of time off the pitch.

As of the time of writing, the odds are not that far from each other, and it does seem that the MLS Finale will have some impressive stakes for all to consider. LA Galaxy is set as the favorite to win with odds of -295, but it is also worth noting that the Red Bulls aren’t that far behind with odds of +210 and are even expected to put up a fight in this clash now more than ever.

Why Riqui Puig Injury is Massive

Riqui Puig played a total of 30 minutes in that win against the Seattle Sounders, with the 25-year-old coming up with a clever control of the ball and even assisting on the team’s game-winner for a 1-0 win. He stayed on the pitch for most of the game and did not know the extent of his injury until the end of the game.

For coach Greg Vanney, seeing his best player give it all despite carrying that tough injury is definitely tough, but nevertheless inspiring.

"He was able to do things on one foot and protect the knee but still execute play," Vanney of Puig’s performances in the Conference Final. "It was extraordinary. Doesn't make anything better, but it was extraordinary how he was able to manage the situation."

However, the Galaxy will be missing the best performer in the game right now. Puig ranks first among all MLS players in the season when it came to touches (3,368), pass attempts (2,830), pass completions (2,425) and carries (2,524). The team would be missing out its major attacker – against a team that is known well to defend the goal against the best.

Major Adjustments Underway

Still, the odds may tell otherwise, but LA Galaxy is still an elite team with all of its impressive talent in the roster. It is expected that Puig’s minutes and workload will have to be redistributed en route to their clash against the Red Bulls. Simply put – the Galaxy have a lot of options on their hands should they want to make tweaks.

It is expected that Marco Reus will be filling in for the playmaking role, while Diego Fagundez will enter as an attacking midfielder. Vanney also has the option to bring in Gastón Brugman for the defensive concerns. There’s a lot of talent available for the Galaxy, and they have some impressive options to cover all of their weaknesses in Puig’s absence.

At this point, there’s still overflowing confidence for LA Galaxy, and it seems that they are eager to dedicate this campaign for Puig. After all, winning it all is the only consolation that they can offer to their teammate who gave it his all to push the club to bigger heights and finally get back to the MLS Cup Final stage.