Mark Delgado was born and grew up in southern California and played six MLS seasons here. But last Friday, he joked, it was the first time that he feared getting lost on the way to train.
“I had to remove the GPS and make sure I was going in the right direction,” said Delgado after his first training session with Laftc In a rear area of the Cal State La Campus.
The reigning MLS Champion Galaxyfighting to sneak under the league salary ceiling, Delgado sent Delgado to the highway last week when she exchanged it to Lafc For $ 400,000 in general allowance money. For Delgado, the agreement was both a surprise and an opportunity.
“It was interesting to see how everything went. But in the end, there are rules in this league,” he said, referring to the salary ceiling. “So no resentment. I said goodbye to close this chapter on a good note and it is in the next chapter, right?”
This following chapter could be one of the best of what has already been a career as a tale book.
Delgado, who also spent seven seasons in Toronto, won two MLS cups, a shield of supporters and three Canadian championships. 29 years old, he played 13 years in MLS and figures to enter the framework of his career after putting a career for appearances last season with 32 and equaling his career summit for departures with 29. With Lafc, the sustainability and versatility of Delgado – He can play both as a defensive midfielder and a central midfielder – will help the loss of defensive veterans defensive Ilie Sánchez,, Eduard AtuestaLewis O'Brien and Mateusz BoguszWho finished second in the team in both goals and assists in 2024. In addition, their passage capacity could change the way the Lafc plays.
In coach Greg VanneyThe match based on possession with the Galaxy, Delgado ranked eighth in the League by the last season, finishing more than 91% of the nearly 2,000 assists he tried. No LAFC midfielder tried more than 1,311 passes and only one ended up to 90% of his tests.
Delgado, Managing Director John Thorrington said “has always been one of the most underestimated players in our league. It is the type of guy each team needs. ”
Especially a team that is found in another transformative offseason. After reaching the MLS Cup final in each of the previous two seasons, Lafc won the title of the western conference of the regular season in 2024, but was eliminated by Seattle in more time in the second round of the playoffs.
Eleven players from this team have gone and although Lafc has already opened the training camp, Thorrington still fills its list.
Galaxy midfielder Mark Delgado tries to pass a defender of the Spenders of Seattle in a eliminatory match in November.
(Etienne Laurent / Associated Press)
“Once this group has become more complete, you will see us two deeply in all positions,” he said. “With the announcements to come, we add real key additions that know the league, which know what it takes to win in this league.
“It will be up there with perhaps the deepest group that we had to start a season.”
For Delgado, change can take some time to get used to it. To start, he will play under an unnamed Vanney coach for the second time in 11 seasons. And he will intervene the sides Traffic, THE Bitter crosstown derby Between Lafc and the galaxy which quickly became the most intense rivalry in the league. Only two other men – Raheem Edwards and John McCarthy – played both games in this match.
“It is definitely a game that you always want to be part of. But for me, there has never been bad blood,” he said. “So I'm on the other side now. I am excited for that but I will say that the switch was a little scary.
“I just want to transmit and become as comfortable as possible as soon as possible.”
A contract extension would help. And although Delgado, who entered the option of the agreement with Galaxy in the year of option, refused to talk about it, he would be obtained a multi -year agreement with Lafc which will pay him more than the $ 876,250 that he was guaranteed last season.
Regardless of what Delgado accomplishes in the field for Lafc, the trade is already historic because after having started his career with Chivas USA at 16, then spend the last three seasons with the Galaxy – the two teams that have formed and played what is now Dignity Health Sports Park – ConjUnant with Louc.
For someone who kicked a football ball for the first time at 4 years in Glendora and lived most of his life in South California, finishing this triple crown is significant.
“It's honestly a really cool statistic,” said Delgado. “It really makes me proud.”
And it may not be the only story he makes with his new club. After winning the League championships in Toronto – where he played in the MLS team alone to win a hat -trick – and the galaxy, Delgado could just become the fifth player to win MLS cups with three different teams if he wins a ring with Lafc.
“You just turned a little fire in my stomach,” said Delgado. “Now I can't wait to be there. Let's do it. “
⚽ You have read the last episode of soccer with Kevin Baxter. The weekly column takes you behind the scenes and highlights unique stories. Listen to Baxter in the episode of this week of “Podcast Corner of the Galaxy.
