Juan Pablo Angel has told ESPN Deportes that he will be joining Chivas USA after he was essentially forced to leave the Los Angeles Galaxy. The interview was conducted in Spanish, but according to the translation, it sounds as if he chose to stay in Southern California mainly because his family had only recently relocated there and he was not interested in uprooting them again:
Juan Pablo Angel Says He’s Joining Chivas USA
“Not the best scenario, but these are the rules here in the league and should be respected. This is an agreement or not, must be respected. After I communicated the decision to leave, the opportunity arose to be Chivas and met with the coach,” he said with mature resignation. “There’s a decision that interested me so I proposed it (to Robin Fraser). I had other options in the MLS, but the family recently moved here, and various other things, I decided it was best to stay here, explore this option is presented and enjoy.”
Elsewhere in the interview, Angel admitted that he has not performed at a level up to his expectations and seems to understand the Galaxy’s decision to look for a replacement. He also says that he is healthy.
It has been a tumultuous year for one of MLS's most prolific strikers. Last year, he never quite clicked with Thierry Henry after the New York Red Bulls made him their third Designated Player and it was announced during the season he would not be playing there this year. He was eventually picked in Stage 2 of the Re-Entry Draft by the Galaxy, who saw him as a replacement for Edson Buddle.
But Angel’s Galaxy career got off to a slow start when he missed the season opener with an injury and didn’t start until the third game. Although he scored in that first start, he has scored just three times all season, a considerable drop-off for a player who entered this season averaging about .6 goals per 90 minutes played.
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