LA Galaxy’s Riqui Puig has torn his ACL and will miss the MLS Cup final

The LA Galaxy announced Sunday that midfielder Riqui Puig tore the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) in his left knee during Saturday night’s Western Conference final against Seattle Sounders FC at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.

The player was tested on Sunday morning, with an MRI confirming the diagnosis.

Puig will now miss the MLS Cup final on December 7 when the LA Galaxy host the New York Red Bulls.

“A new challenge begins today. “I will be away from the pitch for several months, but I am already looking forward to it and am motivated to return stronger than ever and ready to continue making history at this club,” Puig wrote on social media on Sunday. “Thank you everyone for your messages of support and love. They really give me the strength to tackle this recovery. I am so proud of how hard we fought to get here and I know my teammates will do their best to bring home the trophy.”

The midfielder sustained the injury in the second half of the game but continued to play for over 30 minutes in the 1-0 win over the Sounders despite left knee discomfort.

Puig even set up Dejan Joveljic’s decisive goal in the 85th minute of the game when he tore his cruciate ligament, thus securing the team’s place in the final. He is scheduled to undergo surgery at a later date.

The former Barcelona player was an integral part of the team’s success throughout the postseason, scoring four goals and four assists in four games. Before the playoffs, he scored 16 goals and 14 assists in 29 MLS games, leading the Galaxy to second place in the Western Conference standings with 64 points and a record of 19-8-7 (WLD).

The Galaxy’s path to the MLS Cup final included victories over the Colorado Rapids in the first round, Minnesota United in the Western Conference semifinals and the Seattle Sounders in the conference finals.

The team returns to the finals for the first time since 2014, when the Galaxy defeated the New England Revolution 2-1 to win their sixth MLS Cup.

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“A new challenge begins today. I won’t be on the pitch for several months, but I’m already looking forward to it and am motivated to come back stronger than ever and ready to continue making history at this club. THANK YOU everyone for your messages of support and love.” They really give me the strength to tackle this recovery. I’m so proud of how hard we fought to get here and I know my teammates will give it their all to bring home the trophy. Be on the field, I’ll be there cheering you on from the sidelines same passion as always. Let’s keep dreaming!