CARSON, Calif. – A.J. DeLaGarza is back with the LA Galaxy, solving one of their chief needs heading into Sunday's California Clasico and beginning his transition back to MLS's grind following the death of his infant son.
The Galaxy reported Saturday morning that the sixth-year defender had returned to the team and would be available for Sunday afternoon's clash against the San Jose Earthquakes at Buck Shaw Stadium (3 pm ET; UniMas).
DeLaGarza missed the past four games, the first following the birth of his son, Luca, with a congenital heart condition and three more after the child passed away a week later after spending six days on life support at Children's Hospital Los Angeles.
He and his wife, Megan, spent the past week in their native Maryland, burying Luca and grieving with their families.
His return bolsters LA's shorthanded backline, and he's expected to step in at right back in place of Dan Gargan, who is serving a suspension for yellow-card accumulation.
Gargan was the only Galaxy outside back capable of playing 90 minutes in Wednesday's 2-2 draw at Montreal, leading coach Bruce Arena to employ a three-man backline, with disastrous results, for the first half. Robbie Rogers, coming back from a minor hamstring injury, came on at left back at halftime and figures to start in Santa Clara.
James Riley, who has been on the bench the past two games but last played in late March, when he tore his left meniscus, also is available and said Friday that he thought he could play at least 45 minutes and probably more if needed.
Veteran left back Todd Dunivant is out until at least mid-October with a groin tear.
DeLaGarza's plight elicited sympathy from all corners, and several teams honored Luca with a moment of silence or by donning black armbands. The Galaxy did so during last weekend's 6-0 romp over Colorado.
Omar Gonzalez, who was DeLaGarza's roommate at the University of Maryland and arrived in LA with him in 2009, said he'd texted with his friend before the game against the Rapids to ask whether he could do something for Luca. DeLaGarza told him, he said, to “just get a shutout, play hard for Luca – that will mean the most.”
“Tonight was about something bigger than all of us, playing for his family, and it’s just great that there’s so much love here,” Gonzalez said after the game. “I’m happy that we could get this win for them tonight.”
The DeLaGarzas learned in April that Luca suffered from Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome, a rare condition in which the left side of the heart is underdeveloped. Luca underwent surgery as soon as he was born, but he worsened the following day and was placed on life support. He was weaned from it the day before the Colorado game, to prepare for another surgery, but didn't survive.
“We play a sport for a living that we tend to think is very important, and people get carried away, I think, with the importance of it,” Landon Donovan said after the Colorado game. “We try to keep it all in perspective, and life is more important. And we’re just heartbroken for a teammate and for our friend Megan and their family. We do our job and get on with it, but that it doesn’t change what happened yesterday.
“So that’s going to be a part of our season going forward. It doesn’t mean that after tonight we forget about it. It’s still a piece of all of us that we feel is lost, and it’s a sad night.”
