In advance of Sunday’s match between Austin FC and LA Galaxy, we wanted to get perspective on the Galaxy from someone who knows them quite well. I connected with my former Striker colleague Alex Ruiz, who graciously answered my questions.
(I did the same for him over at his site, The Galactic Tribune; that should be up sometime today.)
So, Chicharito’s out for the season with injury after getting just one goal this season (and that was against Austin, because of course it was) … where do the goals come from? It hasn’t really been from Dejan Joveljic, which might surprise folks who don’t follow the Galaxy much.
Unless you follow the English Championship or you’re a Sheffield United supporter, Billy Sharp’s name might not have ring a bell when he signed in mid-August. The 37-year-old striker is the all-time leading scorer in the Championship and has the most goals among LA Galaxy strikers in 2023 with six. He’s coming off scoring a hat trick in LA’s thrilling 4-3 win on Wednesday night.
To sum up Sharp’s playstyle, he’s just the English Chicharito. He’s a fox-in-the-box and always finds himself in the right positions to hit the ball first-time. He’s a bruising striker who isn’t afraid to get physical and throw his body around to get a touch on the ball. He’s the last guy you want your center backs to lose track of.
