Hugo Lloris dealt harsh reality of MLS after Tottenham and Premier League exit
Hugo Lloris was left bewildered by the heavy snow during his second MLS match - as conditions got so bad he could barely see and the LAFC head coach tore into the league for allowing the game to be played, saying it was the worst sporting event he's ever seen.
The Frenchman ended his 12-year stint at Tottenham Hotspur by signing for LAFC in December 2023. Though the UK is known for its cold, dreary, and at times unpredictable weather, nothing could have prepared the veteran for the conditions he played in on Saturday.
LAFC travelled to Utah to play Real Salt Lake in their second game of the season and the game was thrown into chaos due to the extreme weather. As a result, the game was delayed by two hours, only to be suspended because of lightning just four minutes after kick-off. Play resumed an hour later, but things only worsened as the pitch was covered in snow and it continued to fall throughout the match.
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A picture was posted of Lloris on social media platform X looking on in disbelief as the snow began to settle on his head. LAFC succumbed to a 3-0 defeat and manager Steve Cherundolo was furious with the league for allowing the game to go ahead, insisting he felt sympathy for his players. "It was impossible conditions. I feel terrible for the players that we put them through this," he said.
He added: "It was an absolute joke we had to play today. It was one of the worst professional sporting events I've ever seen in my life. The game could have and should have been called [off]. In my opinion, it was an absolute disgrace we had to play today." Salt Lake manager Pablo Mastroeni shared an opposing view to Cherundolo as his team won their first game of the season.
"It's about mentality. You don't prepare by training in it, right?" he said. "And I think the team that quickly adapts to the circumstances around them and controls the controllables has a better chance in it. It wasn't easy for either team, so just a real credit to the players and the mindset to not allow circumstances beyond their control to affect them."
The snow heavily impacted Lloris' second game for LAFC (Chris Gardner/Getty Images)When explaining his decision to switch to the MLS back in February, Lloris relished the opportunity to test himself elsewhere after playing at the highest level for so many years both in Europe and for his country. “To be transparent, after 19 years as a professional footballer in Europe, I just wanted something new, something fresh,” he told MLSsoccer.com.
“It was always in my mind, the day I become a bit more free, because I don't have any more the national team because I retired [from Les Bleus ] one year ago, so I had the freedom. I wanted to travel and to discover a new culture, a new lifestyle, a new continent, and football sometimes can provide you that type of experience.” Lloris and LAFC are seventh in the Western Conference and they will aim to return to winning ways when they host Colorado on Saturday, March 9.
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