What should the LA Galaxy do with Riqui Puig?

Should they end the star's season? Or keep him active in pursuit of a late season run

The LA Galaxy’s season has gotten off to a nightmare of a start.

After having to gut their championship-winning team in order to get cap compliant, the Galaxy are sitting dead last in the Western Conference with three points, seven points behind 14th-place Houston. They have a -13 goal difference; per ASA, they have the seventh-worst npxGD in the league. Their expected points value is the second lowest in the league, only ahead of Toronto.

Their star designated players, Gabriel Pec and Joseph Paintsil, have not had as strong of seasons compared to their roles on the MLS Cup-winning side. Paintsil missed the first few weeks of the season with an injury, but Pec has been there for most matches. Pec’s npxG+xA has dropped from .69 to .35 per 90. Paintsil’s has also tanked, going from .53 to .35. Don’t look at their g+ numbers; it’s even worse. Both players suffered injuries vs Sporting Kansas City, with Paintsil being ruled out and Pec questionable.

Courtesy of American Soccer Analysis

The key difference with the Galaxy is that they lost their star, their MVP, their soul, to an injury in the Western Conference Final. Riqui Puig tore his ACL during the match against Seattle, and LA haven’t been able to replace him in their lineup. But who can blame them? The team heavily relied on Puig to be the guy on their team, their ball progressor. I’ve mentioned this stat quite a bit on this blog, but Puig’s touch percentage per ASA at 14.6% was the highest in the database. In a game like soccer, where so many players can touch the ball, it’s the closest we’ve seen to a heliocentric offense in our league. It seems like it was on purpose by coach Greg Vanney, who increased his touches from 13.2% in 2023.

Now, the Galaxy’s touch percentage leader is their centerback Maya Yoshida, which is normal if you think about a possession team; defenses have a lot of touches as they work their way up the pitch and go back and forth progressing up the pitch. There’s no center mid even near Puig’s number, unless you include Houston’s Jack McGlynn, a CM, with around 12.3%. It’s flat-out hard to replace a player like that in a system that’s so unique.

I’ve been a bit surprised by the lack of a conversation about Puig’s injury status. I went on the ASA podcast before the season started and brought up the idea of Puig going onto the SEI list. It might be a brash question to ask; some people may perceive it as waving the white flag for the season. However, there’s a method to the madness that I’d like to break down.

First off, let’s get the caveats out of the way. The Galaxy’s training staff knows more than I do about Puig’s health. And it’s a very, very difficult conversation to have with a player to say, hey, your season is done. It can make a player upset and potentially strain a relationship if conveyed poorly, or if there’s a chance of them coming back with games left. There’s a reason why the Galaxy are taking their time; it’s not as straightforward as just doing it.

Let’s use former FC Dallas attacker Alan Velasco as an example. He tore his ACL and underwent surgery on November 14th. The Argentine made his debut on August 31, playing in 372 minutes before the season ended as the team pushed for a playoff spot. That’s 291 days between Velasco’s surgery to his playing minutes. It isn’t an apples-to-apples comparison, but if you plugged in those 291 days into Puig’s timeline, you’re looking at September 28th. If we go forward a day, the Galaxy would have three games left and then the playoffs (if they make it): Sept. 27 vs SKC, Oct. 4 vs FCD, and Oct 18. vs Minnesota.

Is it worth having Puig to play the final three games in a limited role? Maybe. It might be good for him to get some run before the off-season or to be a part of a playoff push if they get there. Vanney would have to tweak the way they’re playing, and no one should expect Puig to be the MVP Puig that we saw in 2024 right off the bat. It’s going to be a process and take time.

We know the Galaxy has had their share of salary issues in 2025 and presumably, 2026. They have no GAM left for this season and have for sure pulled forward; just look at their trade with DC United, where they sent 2026 GAM. If the Galaxy put Puig on SEI, they get salary relief, and his spot opens up. There’s a lot they can do with i,t and something that could maximize their 2026 season. With the open DP spot, if I were the Galaxy, I’d look to get a TAM-level DP into the fold. If you put him as a DP, much like Atlanta United famously did with Saba Lobjanidze, the team can eat his transfer fee without it hitting the budget charge. Remember, the transfer fee hits the budget charge when the payment is made. If they pay all of the fee now, it wouldn’t impact what the number would be in 2026.

Let’s just say they get Player A. As long as his average budget charge is below the max TAM threshold of $1.74 million, the player will slot in as a TAM player and be eligible to be bought down. On a three-year deal, that total comp (fee + salary * years) has to be below $5.23 million. On a five-year deal, it’d be $8.7m. This would add another key contributor to the fold, and potentially, you can do it as a loan with an option to buy. Then, if things don’t work out, you can just cut ties with the player without too much issue (much like LAFC is doing with Under).

It’s tough. I can’t say what I would do because there’s a lot more to it than moving around numbers. The opportunity to retool the team with a growing cap seems ideal, and to have Puig at 100% confidence going into 2026 seems much more realistic than joining for cameos in a system that relies on him. It’s also not in a competitor’s blood to be forced out of season, and it would leave Puig without meaningful soccer for over a year. He has also earned the right to dictate his return with his magical performances for the club. You do not want to piss off your star.

Time is ticking for the Galaxy to turn around its season to make a Puig return even salvageable. More weeks go by without a win, and the playoffs will seem impossible, even in the ever-forgiving MLS.