Derrick Williams calls out LA Galaxy after third consecutive defeat
Defender Derrick Williams called out LA Galaxy players after the team’s third consecutive defeat, claiming “there’s a lot of people playing as individuals".
The Western Conference side suffered their latest setback on Saturday night, losing 2-0 to the Colorado Rapids and consequently dropping to seventh on the table. After the match, Williams voiced visible frustrations in hopes of sparking a change.
“We’re not playing as a team. There’s a lot of people playing as individuals,” he said to Spectrum SportsNet, LA’s local broadcast partner.
“The manager gives us clear instructions and there’s times where people don’t want to do that. It’s frustrating. I feel for the staff because they put so much work in and then when it comes to the game, some people just have their own agendas. It’s frustrating and we can’t just keep going on like this because it’s not good enough and we’re sick of losing. It’s just not good enough.”
The team’s recent decline comes as a surprise after their successful start to the 2022 Major League Soccer campaign. LA Galaxy kicked off with five victories in their first eight matches, before an inconsistent run forced a downward spiral.
Now, the LA side boasts 27 points in 20 matches and a record of 8W-9L-3D. With 14 matches still left to be played, the defender insists there needs to be a change.
“For me, it’s just focusing every day and every minute when you’re on that pitch and just making sure you’re giving your all, 100 percent. And you’re not cheating the game, that’s the main thing. You do your job that’s being asked of you. That’s all you can ask for,” Williams added.
“Once you do that, sometimes things don’t go your way. You hold your hands up and at least you’re honest with yourself – you know you put your all out there. But we’re not doing that lately.”
LA Galaxy veteran midfielder Sacha Kljestan echoed his teammate’s frustrations, adding the team must come together to succeed.
“I just think that we all need to be on the same page when we are doing something tactically,” Kljestan said. “And so that’s most important in MLS, is that all 11 guys on the field are committed to the exact same goal with the exact same ideas. And if one guy takes a break or takes a moment off, then the dominoes start to fall, and the game becomes difficult.
LA Galaxy has the chance to come back stronger on Sunday when hosting Atlanta United at Dignity Health Sports Park.