Exiting the match for Servando Carrasco in the 63rd minute of LA’s lopsided defeat to the Columbus Crew, Joe Corona punched the Mapfre Stadium seat angrily before plopping down in frustration.

Corona was ineffective on the night, as was a lethargic Sebastian Lletget. If the pair didn’t have the usual spring in their step vs. the Red Bulls over the weekend, the duo were out of sync Wednesday night.

Or perhaps out of gas? After a bright start which recently yielded a seven game unbeaten run, Guillermo Barros Schelotto’s group have lost the past two on the road while conceding six goals. A major culprit behind LA’s drop in form has been sharpness in the middle of the park, with a failure to track late runs and opposing attackers dooming the Galaxy back line. The three headed central midfield monster of Joe Corona, Sebastian Lletget and Jonathan dos Santos, so vital to LA’s early success, haven’t had the same impact.

They’ve also logged significant minutes for a LA Galaxy team on the tail end of a brutal stretch of 6 games in 22 days. Before exiting Wednesday’s match with a hamstring tweak Jona had played every second of the 2019 season while Corona missed just nine total minutes in nine starts before an early exit vs. the Crew. Wednesday’s loss for Seba was his ninth straight match going all 90 minutes. The trio could use a rest.

At Boca Juniors the Schelotto twins had the luxury of a deep squad of hungry individuals dying to wear the shirt. They could afford to push players to their limits knowing replacements were available.

With no able replacements in the wings, it’s logical for the coaching staff to lean on the trio week after week, but at some point the players will need to be rested.