The signing of another so-called homegrown player, Gyassi Zardes — who joined the local team rather than entering the MLS draft (where he would undoubtedly have been number one pick) — soften the blow for the Galaxy. But the defection of Arriola clearly still rankles team president and former player Chris Klein, who talked about the importance of a new Galaxy reserve team, Galaxy II, in retaining the likes of Arriola in the future.

“It’s vital. If you listen to Paul, one of the reasons that he says [heavy emphasis on ‘says’] that he chose Xolos, is because he didn’t think he was going to get the playing time,” Klein said. “Now, I would debate whether that’s the case now for him, but if he was still in our system he would be playing a minimum of 30 games in between our first team and Galaxy II … We can now say, ‘Here’s your path.’”

Klein is proud of the Galaxy’s youth system, and its ability to now draw on a generation of young local players who may have grown up watching the team and naturally gravitate toward it. He touted “the perfect climate — they can basically train with the ball 364 days a year.” And MLS rules mean that within a 75-mile radius, the players L.A. develops and trains are protected from their competitors in the league when it comes time to sign them to pro contracts.

Protected within the MLS, that is — not from cross-border raids.

“Our area is 75 miles from where we’re standing right now and a team like Xolos don’t have those limitations,” Klein said at his team’s home stadium, “so they’re very present in San Diego and they certainly come and scout our academy. They don’t ask our forgiveness for that! They’re trying to build something too…”