A. J. DeLaGarza facts for kids
DeLaGarza with LA Galaxy in 2013
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| Personal information | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Full name | Adolph Joseph DeLaGarza | ||
| Date of birth | November 4, 1987 | ||
| Place of birth | Bryans Road, Maryland, United States | ||
| Height | 1.75 m (5 ft 9 in) | ||
| Playing position | Defender | ||
| Club information | |||
| Current club | Des Moines Menace | ||
| Senior career* | |||
| Years | Team | Apps† | (Gls)† |
| 2009–2016 | LA Galaxy | 204 | (2) |
| 2015 | LA Galaxy II | 1 | (0) |
| 2017–2019 | Houston Dynamo | 57 | (0) |
| 2018 | → Rio Grande Valley (loan) | 4 | (0) |
| 2020 | Inter Miami CF | 5 | (0) |
| 2021–2022 | New England Revolution | 14 | (0) |
| 2024– | Des Moines Menace | 0 | (0) |
| Total | 285 | (2) | |
| National team‡ | |||
| 2012 | United States | 2 | (0) |
| 2013–2019 | Guam | 14 | (0) |
† Appearances (Goals). |
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Adolph Joseph DeLaGarza (born November 4, 1987), known as A. J. DeLaGarza, is a former professional soccer player. He was a strong defender for the LA Galaxy in the early 2010s. During his time there, the team won three major championships called MLS Cups. They also won two Supporters' Shields, which is given to the team with the best regular season record.
DeLaGarza played for the United States in 2012. Later, he chose to play for the Guam national team from 2013 to 2019. This was because his family has roots in Guam. He currently plays for the USL League Two club Des Moines Menace.
Contents
Early Life and Youth Soccer
A. J. DeLaGarza was born in Bryans Road, Maryland. His father has Mexican and Chamorro heritage. His mother is Native American.
When he was 12, DeLaGarza played for the D.C. United U-12 team. He traveled to France for the Danone Cup with them. He also played for a team called Baltimore Casa Mia's Bays. With this team, he won two national championships for youth soccer.
In high school, DeLaGarza played for Henry E. Lackey High School. He was a standout player there. He was named all-state twice and all-county four times.
College Soccer Success
DeLaGarza played college soccer at the University of Maryland, College Park. He quickly made an impact.
- In 2005, he helped Maryland win the National Championship.
- He started the championship game and helped his team keep a clean sheet.
- In 2008, he had another great senior season.
- He helped Maryland win another National Championship.
- They also won the ACC Championship that year.
- He was named his team's Co-Most Valuable Defensive Player.
Professional Club Career
Starting with LA Galaxy
The LA Galaxy picked DeLaGarza in the 2009 MLS SuperDraft. He was the 19th player chosen overall. He made his first professional appearance on March 22, 2009. This was in the Galaxy's first game of the season. He played the entire game as a left back.
He quickly became an important player for the team. He often played as a right back. He helped the Galaxy defense improve a lot. They let in 31 fewer goals than the year before. The team also set a record with 12 clean sheets. This strong defense helped LA finish first in their conference. DeLaGarza scored his first goal for LA on September 12, 2009. The Galaxy reached the MLS Cup final but lost.
In 2010, DeLaGarza scored a very fast goal. It was the fourth fastest in the club's history at that time. He helped the Galaxy win the Supporters' Shield. This award goes to the team with the best record in the regular season. He showed he could play many positions. He played as a left back, center back, and right back. He played every minute of their playoff games as a center back.
Becoming a Key Defender
In 2011, DeLaGarza mostly played as a center back. He became a very important player for the Galaxy. He played in 30 out of 34 regular season games. He also played every minute in all their other important matches. The Galaxy won the Supporters' Shield again. This year, they also won the MLS Cup. They beat the Houston Dynamo 1–0 in the final. This made them one of the few clubs to win both in the same season.
DeLaGarza continued to be a key defender in 2012. He started all 30 of his league games. He and Omar Gonzalez formed a strong center back pair. DeLaGarza got injured in October 2012. He missed the rest of the season and the playoffs. Even without him, the Galaxy won the MLS Cup again. They beat the Dynamo for the second year in a row. DeLaGarza was named the Galaxy Defensive Player of the Year for 2012.
In 2013, DeLaGarza remained a key part of LA's defense. He scored his first goal since 2010. He played both right back and center back. In September, he suffered a dislocated elbow. This injury made him miss the rest of the regular season. He returned for some playoff games.
MLS Cup Champion Again
The 2014 season was one of DeLaGarza's best. He played mainly as a center back. He also played left back and right back. He led a defense that allowed the fewest goals in MLS. He was named the Galaxy Defensive Player of the Year for the second time. He also had two assists in the playoffs. The Galaxy won the MLS Cup again in 2014. They beat the New England Revolution in extra time.
During September 2014, DeLaGarza missed three games. This was due to a very sad personal event. His son, Luca, was born with a rare heart condition. Luca passed away just a week after being born. In his son's memory, DeLaGarza and his family started the Luca Knows Heart foundation. This foundation helps other families dealing with similar heart conditions. Because of his work with this foundation and other groups, DeLaGarza was named the 2014 MLS Humanitarian of the Year. This award recognizes players who do great charity work.
The 2015 season was not as successful for the Galaxy. DeLaGarza played in 24 games. The team made the playoffs but lost early. DeLaGarza also dealt with a groin injury that season.
In 2016, DeLaGarza again helped lead one of the league's best defenses. He made 24 appearances. He became only the fifth Galaxy player to play in 200 regular season games. His ability to play different positions was very important. The Galaxy made the playoffs again. However, they lost in the semi-finals. After eight seasons, DeLaGarza was traded to the Houston Dynamo.
Time with Houston Dynamo
DeLaGarza joined the Houston Dynamo in 2017. The coach wanted him to play only as a right back. He made his Dynamo debut on March 4. He also got his first assist for the team in May. He helped the Dynamo reach the playoffs for the first time in three seasons. However, in the last game of the regular season, he tore his ACL. This serious knee injury made him miss the playoffs and most of 2018.
He signed a new contract with Houston in 2018. He returned from his injury in August. He played a few games with their affiliate team. He then rejoined the Dynamo. He helped them win the 2018 US Open Cup. This win helped the Dynamo qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League.
In 2019, DeLaGarza was back to full health. He played as the main right back for Houston. He appeared in all four of their Champions League matches. He also started 14 straight MLS games. However, his season ended in August when he broke his foot. The Dynamo missed the playoffs again that year. His contract with Houston ended after the 2019 season.
Later Career Teams
On December 2, 2019, DeLaGarza joined Inter Miami CF. This was a new team in MLS. He made his debut for Miami in October 2020. He played in 5 games during the shortened season. He started in their first playoff game. His contract ended after the 2020 season.
As a free agent, DeLaGarza signed with the New England Revolution in 2021. His contract with New England ended after the 2022 season. On November 17, 2022, DeLaGarza signed a special one-day contract with LA Galaxy. This allowed him to officially retire from professional soccer as a Galaxy player.
In April 2024, DeLaGarza joined the Des Moines Menace. This was ahead of a cup match.
International Career
Playing for the United States
In December 2010, DeLaGarza was called to train with the United States men's national soccer team. He was on the game day roster for a match against Chile in January 2011. However, he did not play in that game.
On January 21, 2012, DeLaGarza made his official debut for the United States men's national soccer team. He started and played the whole game in a 1–0 win against Venezuela. Four days later, he started and played the full game again. This was in a win against Panama.
Representing Guam
DeLaGarza was also able to play for the Guam national team. This was because he had not played enough official games for the United States to be "tied" to them. On August 27, 2013, he decided to play for Guam.
On November 16, 2013, DeLaGarza played his first game for Guam. This was a friendly match against Laos. He played his first competitive game for Guam in November 2014. They won 2–1 against Taiwan.
On June 11, 2015, DeLaGarza started and played the whole game. Guam won their first-ever World Cup Qualifier match. They beat Turkmenistan 1–0. A few days later, Guam won their second World Cup Qualifier. They beat India.
DeLaGarza announced his retirement from international soccer on April 19, 2020.
Personal Life
DeLaGarza is married to Megan, his high school sweetheart. They have a daughter named Noelle, born in 2015.
DeLaGarza is good friends with Omar Gonzalez. They were teammates in college and with the Galaxy.
He has Native-American heritage from his mother's side. He also has Mexican and Chamorro heritage from his father's side. He has a sister named Tabatha.
DeLaGarza looked up to Carles Puyol, a famous player from Spain. Like Puyol, DeLaGarza was a bit smaller for a center back.
Honors
LA Galaxy
- MLS Cup: 2011, 2012, 2014
- Supporters' Shield: 2010, 2011
Houston Dynamo
- US Open Cup: 2018
New England Revolution
- Supporters' Shield: 2021
Individual Awards
- LA Galaxy Defensive Player of the Year: 2012, 2014
- MLS Humanitarian of the Year Award: 2014
Images for kids
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DeLaGarza with LA Galaxy in 2013
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DeLaGarza with the Galaxy in August 2010
See also
In Spanish: Adolph Joseph DeLaGarza para niños
