As LA Galaxy are set to play against the New York Red Bulls in the MLS Cup final, they face a rather tough challenge as their starman Riqui Puig sustained an ACL injury during the Western Conference Final. Despite the injury, Puig played over 30 minutes, delivering a key assist to Dejan Joveljić for the match-winning goal. 

With the Spaniard out, coach Greg Vanney will look to Marco Reus, who has almost recovered from his groin injury. During their press conference, the American manager revealed that he remains optimistic about the Borussia Dortmund legend making it back into the starting XI. If the German is fit, he will lead hopes for LA Galaxy who are now without their ‘Conductor’. Reus had suffered a groin injury during the Galaxy’s win over the Vancouver Whitecaps.

“We’ll see how his health is as the week progresses, Have some optimism that he can get himself turned around and be ready for us,” said Vanney about Reus during their press conference on December 3rd. “How we want to manage that situation, both early and later, are things that we’re working through, talking through, and figuring out the right personnel to approach the game,” added the coach.

In the regular season for LA Galaxy, the 25-year-old scored 17 goals and provided 12 assists in 33 games. Puig pretty much dictated the tempo of the game and without their key player, Galaxy have lost favor with the bookmakers for the MLS Cup Final. With ACL injuries typically taking 6 to 9 months of recovery, Puig is set to miss out quite a chunk of the upcoming season as well.

As for the German midfielder, many consider Marco Reus one of the unluckiest footballers of all time and this has nothing to do with his playing style. It’s the silverware that’s eluded him for the majority of his career. Reus’ laureates outweigh the achievements he has secured with his team but perhaps this time will be different. 

A first major league title for Marco Reus?

The German has a golden opportunity to cap off his debut season in Major League Soccer with a championship, with the side that has been most successful in the MLS Cup competition. Having last won it in 2014, Reus could guide LA Galaxy to the MLS Cup and have a fairytale ending of sorts. 

During Marco Reus’ 12-year tenure at Borussia Dortmund, the Bundesliga title remained out of reach. He came close on several occasions, most notably losing out on the final matchday of the season. His international resume follows a similar fate, having missed out on Germany’s 2014 World Cup-winning squad because of injury. 

Having lost the Champions League on two occasions, Reus will be eager to avoid adding another second-place medal to his collection when the final whistle blows in the MLS Cup. This is a golden opportunity for the German forward to establish his legacy in MLS and finally secure a league title.