Know thy enemy and know thyself; in a hundred battles, you will never be defeated, according to ancient Chinese general Sun Tzu. Wise advice and a good way to spend spare time while you wait for the next match at work. In our abundant lead-up time, we’ve picked out a few of the brightest stars the Galaxy have to offer ahead of MNUFC’s Conference Semifinal match against LA, and we turned all our research into a couple of handy scouting reports. So, without further ado, let’s get to know the first name on the list:
SCOUTING: Ricard “Riqui” Puig Martí
- Age: 25 years old
- Birthplace: Matadepera, Spain
- Height: 5’7”
- Weight: 123 lbs.
- Position: CM
- Preferred Foot: Right
Strengths
- Endurance
- Passing
- Movement
Weaknesses
- 1v1 Defending
- 1v1 Attacking
Key Stats:
- 7th Most Assists In MLS (2024)
- Passes Completed - 2,443
Career Accolades
- MLS All-Star selection - 2024, 2023
Summary
Among Major League Soccer’s most dynamic players, Riqui Puig does a little bit of everything. It’s hard to identify weaknesses in this midfield engine’s game, as he covers an incredible amount of ground and performs every technique flawlessly for 90 minutes, seemingly without any fatigue. His tireless work rate has contributed to him racking up almost 500 more touches on the ball than the second-highest tally in the league, as well as 200 more completed passes than the next highest player. Add 17 goals and 9 assists, and Puig’s résumé starts to seem like a snub for the league’s MVP consideration.
Though he’s perhaps the most influential player in the league, there are holes in his game. While Puig combines well with teammates, his 1v1 ability is not among his greatest strengths. He can run with anyone, but that doesn’t mean he can stop them or get by them on his own. That would make isolating him seem like a good strategy, but he’s slippery on account of his constant, intelligent movement. A player this hard to pin down needs to be closed down quickly and firmly; if given too much space, he’ll literally run riot and tire out the Loons’ two-man midfield.
But don't just take my word for it—check out some of Riqui's best moments this season to get a taste of what the Loons are coming up against:
The Tape:
