Greg Vanney has given his reasoning behind not taking off Douglas Costa last night despite the LA Galaxy star looking tired against the Vancouver Whitecaps.
Speaking to the club’s official website, the Galaxy head coach revealed that Douglas was kept on in case the game went to a penalty shootout, with the Whitecaps scoring a stoppage-time winner to secure a 2-1 win.
Vanney said: “We’re just trying to get the guys who are competent shooters on the field, and leaving some of them on the field that looked tired. Douglas [Costa] looked tired, obviously, but he’s one of our primary shooters.”
With the Galaxy losing so late in the game, substituting Costa could have been a wise move from Vanney, with the Brazilian enjoying some good form in recent weeks.
However, with no fixtures until late August, it makes sense why Costa played the full 90 despite looking tired, yet the decision could still be one that Galaxy fans question.
Indeed, the next three weeks are expected to be crucial for the Galaxy in their bid to return to the MLS playoff picture, and having Costa fully fit could be as important as a new signing for Vanney.
LA Galaxy have to get Costa fully fit and firing for August
With zero goals in MLS this season, Costa is a man on a mission to return to goalscoring ways for the Galaxy, with a rejuvenated Riqui Puig currently the main man for the California giants.
We all know how good Costa can be when fit and operating in a team that works to his needs, and the Galaxy have to ensure they provide this for the Brazilian come their next MLS fixture at the end of August.
Three weeks is all it could take for Vanney to transform his lacklustre side into something dangerous, and Costa can be a spearhead for the Galaxy if given the right tools to play with in the squad.