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In the defender’s absence, black armbands are worn and tributes are given, while Jones energizes NE and Saborio strengthens faltering RSL.
LA Galaxy suffers a tragedy
There was no need for AJ DeLaGarza to step forward. If nothing else, no one would have minded that the veteran Galaxy defense wasn’t as well-known as he was. However, the 26-year-old chose to look at the positive aspects of his family’s misfortune rather than dwelling on the sadness that had befallen him and his wife.
For the first time since he had announced his son’s arrival to the world, DeLaGarza stated on the team website last week, “[I]t’s important for me to help other families who are in need more than I am.”
For four months, the DeLaGarzas had known: Luca, their first child, would be born with Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a congenital heart defect that rendered one ventricle too underdeveloped to supply enough blood to the rest of the body.
“Right now, he’s safe inside his mother,” DeLaGarza said, “but when he comes out, he’s going to have a hard time.”
On Thursday, Luca DeLaGarza passed away. He was seven days old.
The Galaxy organization rallied around the DeLaGarzas, promoting the #LucaKnowsHeart hashtag as a way to raise awareness of the condition. A website was created to help educate and raise funds, while beneath the club’s normal uniforms, DeLaGarza’s team-mates wore t-shirts featuring the cause’s symbol: a heart with a Christian cross above its left ventricle. When Omar Gonzalez scored the second goal against DC United last Wednesday, he immediately turned to his partner and pointed to his chest, where his raised uniform revealed the symbol, one that’s also tattooed on DeLaGarza’s wrist.
On Friday, with the Colorado Rapids visiting Carson, California, the tone was more subdued. The defiant hope that fueled the team’s previous games was replaced by grief, with black “Luca” armbands and a moment of silence taking the place of their absent defender. Through the weekend, those remembrances were replicated across MLS.
The Galaxy went on to beat Colorado 6-0, with the game’s muted significance confirmed in the first minute. Not even the earliest red card in the league’s history, shown to Rapids goalkeeper Joe Nasco after 33 seconds, could resume sports’ facade.
When Landon Donovan pointed to his armband after converting from the spot, the bigger picture came back into focus.
“We play a sport for a living that we tend to think is very important, and people get carried away with parts of it,” Donovan said, after Friday’s match. “We try to keep it all in perspective. Life is more important.”
