It has taken Lucas Sanabria some time to find his comfort zone, and that’s understandable considering he’s in a new country, playing in a new league.
After missing time with a collarbone injury, Sanabria has worked his way back on the field for the Galaxy, starting the last two games, including Sunday’s 2-2 “El Trafico” draw against LAFC.
“I think when he first got here, he kind of only talked to Julian (Aude) because they are pretty much the same age and drinking mate,” midfielder Edwin Cerrillo said. “Now, you see him laughing and being happy off the field.
“He came into a team, a winning team from last year, and I think maybe the pressure can get to him. We are all human, and he’s a young kid. It was definitely going to take a little time to adapt. Again, on these trips, when we’re gone for so long, you spend more time with each other. From the outside looking in, I was with Tucker (Lepley) and Mauricio (Cuevas), so I felt the responsibility to kind of get to know him a little bit better and tell him that I’m there for him no matter what and I showcased that on the field and I have his back and he has my back.”
Sanabria, 21, joined the Galaxy from Club Nacional in Uruguay. After starting the season opener (Feb. 23) against San Diego FC, Sanabria went down in the next game against Vancouver suffering the collarbone injury and he was sidelined for more than a month.
“Lucas’ aggression in the challenge and physicality was a nice addition to the group,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said after last week’s match against LAFC. “It’s something that I think that we lack and so it was nice to have that. I think, again, he’s settling into the way we want to play the game and that kind of stuff. But I think, again, his physicality, the amount of ground he can cover, things like that, is good for us. It helps Eddie (Edwin Cerrillo) to settle in and do what Eddie has been used to doing a little bit more.”
Sanabria’s continued development will be important for the Galaxy (0-10-4, four points) heading into their second meeting against San Diego FC. The expansion team kicked off 2025 with a 2-0 win against the Galaxy in Carson.
“When you first arrive here, you don’t speak the language, you’re trying to settle in. I just think a lot of variables in his world were unsettled,” Vanney said of Sanabria. “And he is a shy guy in terms of his general daily demeanor. He’s not very talkative, at least in the broader group.
“I think now’s he gotten a lot more comfortable in his surroundings, the way we want to play, his role on the field, his capacity to kind of understand our league and the speed of our league, his ability to take in a little more information and the lines of communication have gotten a little bit better for him. He’s combative. He can win challenges. He can win balls and start us in transitions. He’s a different player for us today than he was the first game of the season.”
Also in that first game, the Galaxy didn’t have Joseph Paintsil. Paintsil returned from a two-game absence as a second-half sub against LAFC. He’s in line for an extended period on Saturday, as he confirmed himself for the starting lineup.
“This weekend, I’m going to be on the starting team,” Paintsil said.
BUSY WEEK AHEAD
Saturday’s game kicks off a stretch of three games in eight days for the reigning MLS Cup champs. The Galaxy will return home to face the San Jose Earthquakes on Wednesday and Real Salt Lake next Saturday (on May 31) to close out the month.
The Galaxy only have three games in the month of June, all on the road.
GALAXY at SAN DIEGO FC
When: Saturday, 1:45 p.m.
Where: Snapdragon Stadium
How to watch: FOX (Ch. 11); Apple TV+ (season pass)
