Punk rock isn’t necessarily something that comes to mind when I think of John Thorrington. But the LAFC EVP and GM said something to me this offseason that evoked the self-confident and rebellious spirit of the genre.
“In the difficult times, our answer is not to change,” Thorrington said when reflecting on the Club’s inaugural season just a week after being eliminated in the Knockout Round of the MLS Cup Playoffs. “It’s to become better at what we do.”
Here are two unsolicited stats from LAFC’s 2018 season:
LAFC’s 52 goals against were the second-worst of the teams that qualified for this year’s MLS Cup playoffs. LAFC’s plus-16 goal differential was the second best in the Western Conference in 2018.
On the one hand, that’s not so good. In the other is a statistical testament to LAFC’s superiority in attack. And taken together, and in context of Bob Bradley’s stated intent to play an entertaining brand of football, the stats illuminate the type of team LAFC have become in just one season: proactive and dynamic with the ball but still a work in progress in controlling matches from start to finish.
The announced arrival of center back Eddie Segura on Wednesday from Colombian side Atlético Huila is part of that process of becoming better.
“He’s a young player. He’s already accumulated a wealth of experience in the Colombian league as a central defender,” Thorrington said of Segura. “Young player with great potential that we see furthering his career here.”
At 21, Segura has shown talent and poise beyond his years in his two seasons with Atlético. The defender appeared in every league and postseason match for Atlético last season.
Those that have seen Segura play note his comfort with the ball on either foot. He’s quick, good in the tackle, and holds his own in the air despite not being exceptionally tall for a center back at 5-foot-9.
But what really stands out is Segura’s maturity on and off the pitch. He reads the game well for a young player. As a very good 1v1 defender, Segura has the ability to defend in space and step up into the play. That combination of attributes bodes well for LAFC’s commitment to stepping forward as a team in possession and recovering the ball quickly when possession is lost – think stifling the opposition before they even attempt to transition, as opposed to emergency defending close to your own goal.
In addition to those qualities on the pitch, Segura served as Atlético’s captain at a young age. A sign that as uncommon as it is to name a 21-year-old captain, Segura’s leadership potential is equal to his skill on the pitch.
As with past LAFC signings, Thorrington stressed the attention to detail in scouting Segura. The defender is a player the Club has had its eye on for quite some time. Segura is a player that is consistent with LAFC’s short and long-term goals. And while center backs Danilo Silva and Walker Zimmerman aren’t currently under contract for next season – the Club has expressed its priority in bringing both players back – Segura’s youth and qualities have the potential to impact LAFC’s backline right away and into the future as part of a group with Silva and Zimmerman included.
Bradley asks a lot of his center backs with the way LAFC attempts to squeeze space by keeping compact in all areas of the pitch. It’s a proactive approach that requires defenders to recognize danger even when LAFC is in possession and respond quickly to quell dangerous movements before they come to fruition.
Segura is the type of player that helps lower those goals against by not stifling an uptick in LAFC’s goal differential on the positive side.
Again, it’s about getting better… not changing.
