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Steven Gerrard leaves the LA Galaxy, ending disappointing 17-month stay
Steven Gerrard will not return to the LA Galaxy in 2017. The club confirmed that the two sides have agreed to part ways, which was expected after a disappointing 17-month marriage and Gerrard's contract set to expire.
Gerrard joined the Galaxy in July of last year and the thinking was he would be the final piece to the puzzle for the reigning MLS Cup champions. Unfortunately for LA, he proved to be the opposite. Gerrard was incapable of doing the running necessary in the Galaxy midfield and had to be pushed into a more attacking role with no defensive responsibilities. That put a crunch on a team that already had enough attacking players and was short on midfielders. Gerrard, who was 35 when he played his first match for LA, was simply too old and immobile to be the player the Galaxy needed.
Instead of winning an MLS Cup, the Galaxy collapsed down the stretch last season and went out of the playoffs in the knockout stages. This season, injuries limited him to 21 matches and despite three goals and 11 assists in those contests, his limitations caused problems for the rest of the squad. LA's season in the conference semifinals and Gerrard played just 44 minutes over three playoff matches due to injury.
A Liverpool legend, Gerrard never won a Premier League title with the Reds and joining the Galaxy was supposed to be his chance at a championship, but that never came to pass. There has been talk that he would retire after his stint in LA, but he is not ready to make that decision.
"I am now looking forward to spending time with my family as I consider the next stage of my career,” Gerrard said to close out his statement about the end of his time in LA.
This could be the end of Gerrard's playing career or it might not. Either way, his Galaxy career did not exactly go according to plan, and now it's over.
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