Los Angeles Galaxy defender James Riley out six months

Mar 22, 2014; Sandy, UT, USA; Los Angeles Galaxy defender James Riley (26) is attended to after being injured during the first half against Real Salt Lake at Rio Tinto Stadium. The match ended in a 1-1 draw. Mandatory Credit: Russ Isabella-USA TODAY Sports

James Riley, we hardly knew ye. The Los Angeles Galaxy defender with be out six months after suffering a torn meniscus in their 1-1 draw with Real Salt Lake last Saturday, forcing manager Bruce Arena to bring in Dan Gargan as a replacement.

“I got one sprint from the bench to the corner flag, back to the bench and that was it,” Gargan told LAGalaxy.com’s Larry Morgan. “Bruce says ‘You’re in,’ you don’t question when Bruce says you’re in.

“Obviously, the Galaxy is one of the best organizations in the world, certainly our country. A great roster to be a part of. Obviously you never want to see guys go down, and it’s unfortunate that James had that happen. He’s dealt with injuries in the past, he’s a hard worker. He’ll be back.”

“That was a difficult situation, literally coming in cold like that,” said Galaxy left back Todd Dunivant. “He handled it really well. He did exactly what he needed to do. He came in, stepped in and did a great job.

“Dan’s been around for a long time. He’s kind of like one of those guys you know what you’re getting with him. He’s got pace, obviously he’s a right back and he’s done well over the years. He’s another guy who’s a good piece for us to have.”

As for the rest of the team, the Galaxy are using the break to recover from what has been a disappointing March.

“It’s a little bit weird for me,” midfielder Marcelo Sarvas told Morgan. “We just start the season and we have all these days off. We don’t need this break.”

“I think the break comes at a good time, really,” Dunivant said. “It gives us a chance to regroup after the [CONCACAF] Champions League. I thought we did a good job responding in Salt Lake and getting that point and letting Champions League not dwell on us.

“I thought it does come at a good time. AJ [DeLaGarza] got a knock and we picked up some injuries. Guys in general are a little fatigued at the start of the season.”

“The good thing about a week like this is you get the extra time to train,” added forward Rob Friend. “It’s a good week to do extra fitness, extra shooting, a good time to work on your game. You can never work too much on your game.”

This week, the Galaxy added a Sports Science department as part of their relationship with Herbalife. The team have named Head Athletic Trainer Armando Rivas Director of Sports Medicine and Alex Savva the club’s Manager of Sports Science.

“It is essential for our club to be able to provide the best possible resources for our athletes to compete and succeed on the field,” said LA Galaxy President Chris Klein to the media on Thursday. “We see this as another opportunity to invest in the infrastructure of our club and set the standard for player development in North America.”

“We are excited to be part of such an innovative program that will really set the LA Galaxy apart,” said Rob Levy, executive vice president, worldwide sales and marketing, Herbalife. “We look forward to working closely with the LA Galaxy’s sports science department to ensure players benefit from the right nutrition to support their individual regimes.”