The move to LAFC made sense for the forward. There is a time and a place.
Friday's game between LAFC and the LAGalaxy will be broadcasted. The two sides occupy different tiers within the league.
The Black and Gold have their own ways. LAFC sit atop the Supporters' Shield with 36 points from 18 games, and such was their level of success that GM John Thorrington made what could be argued as a pair of luxury signings.
Chiellini pretended to be modesty when he said that LAFC have great defenders. As if a team couldn't benefit from his experience and background, he asked why they called him. The truth was found in Chiellini's assessment. The Steve Cherundolo's team is tied for the second best defensive record in MLS. Its attack has been very effective with 35 goals spread out among 14 players and an average of 1.94 goals per game.
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It's a credit to him that he didn't get lulled into a false sense of security. One of the strongest teams in the league will get stronger with the addition of Chiellini and Bale. According to sources, LAFC might "roll the dice" on former Manchester United forward Jesse Lingard, who is out of contract, in order to sign him.
Their season has been hit and miss. Thanks to a defense that is fifth best in the league, LA is sitting in fourth place in the Western Conference, but its hold on that spot is tenuous.
The team's two other designated players, Douglas Costa and Kevin Cabral, have combined for two goals and zero assists, which is concerning. The refrain of top MLS teams is that they need theirDPs to be producing at their maximum. The team can't yet be included among the league's elite because of the lack of creativity.
The acquisition of former Parma player Gaston Brugman was trumpeted on Wednesday by the Los Angeles Dodgers. Considering the team's needs going forward and the talents of Brugman, it's disappointing. When one looks at the league and sees how teams are using brute force in the marketplace, it makes one feel even worse.
According to a source, Inter Miami used $150,000 in allocation money to acquire Alejandro Pozuelo from Toronto FC. It's a low-risk, high-reward move for a team that is still feeling the effects of the MLS sanctions imposed in 2020. The reason he was available was because his contract is up at the end of the season and Miami can cut ties if he doesn't work out. A new deal is possible if he succeeds.
Now that Lorenzo Insigne's contract has expired, Toronto has been plundering the Italian market in acquiring the player. These are the kinds of signings that theGalaxy used to make. Costa did not fall into that category because of his downward career trajectory and the circumstances by which he ended his loan spell with Gremio, in which he fell out of favor with fans.
The other teams worked in the preseason. Rusnak was a free agent. LAFC made use of the free agent market to get former Sporting Kansas City player Ilienchez, as well as acquiring US international Kellyn Acosta in a trade with Colorado. They weren't sitting around. LAFC have been able to fill in the holes in their lineup more effectively than they have done in the past. TheGalaxy are still very much involved in that process
Some moves need to make a difference. The arrival of Brugman feels more important than the moves of their crosstown rivals. In a video that accompanied the announcement, manager Greg Vanney spoke of how Brugman will allow the likes of Delgado and Rayan Raveloson to play further up field. The hope is that the arrival of Brugman will increase the attacking level of the team, which has been average.
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