F***. Nearly a carbon copy of their other goal. 2-1. Sneddon beaten just like Diop before him. Two shots on goal, two goals for Rochester. This is BS. 7 + stoppage left.
Well that OT period was pretty garbage football by us. The lineup we had out there just wasn't ever going to break down an organized and energized Rochester midfield/defense. Ends 2-1.
What a choke. This was worse than last year. Two minutes from victory. And then the same thing in OT.
Right before Lassiter came off, we had a chance to ice it 2-0 in regulation. Ari took to long to move forward with the break and let another player close him down. In fact, other than the goal (which was fortunate, but well poached) I think Lassiter didn't really have a great game. At least twice he simply struck the ball hard into his defender instead of relaxing and finding a better play. I struggle to say that it was poor sub management by Curt because I don't necessarily disagree with any of the subs (save maybe for leaving in Ari but he certainly sucking wind) but those subs were dependent on closing out the game. Once OT came, we were screwed.
Well it sucks it's a failure and a wasted season no matter how many good things can be said, the fact is we lost and for any branch of the Galaxy to lose a competition is a massive failure. That is just how we roll that's our standard 1st place only second sucks, second place is no place. But the wonderful thing about football is revenge and atonement come quickly and they will be expected to win it all every season. So lads remember that feeling and use it to fuel the fire that should be burning under that sacred shirt and crest!
Disappointing but this isn't about winning. It'll always be about developing these players. I thought they showed well. Proud of G2!
It's too bad, but McBean was directly responsible for the equalizing goal. He dropped back into the midfield to help close out the game on defense. However he had a horrible foul away from goal against a guy who's back was facing the goal and also just looking to harmfully pass it off to his teammate who was already being covered. That foul led to a free kick into the box, that led to the equalizing corner kick. You'd think that with all of McBean's experience with CCL play he'd be calmer and not plowing into smaller guys, giving away soft fouls seconds out from a title.
That was disappointing but the first half looked pretty alright. Our biggest problem is getting everyone enough playing time. Players like Fujii and Amaya would have got more time if they stayed in college.
My thoughts on the players: The French Connection Auras: He looks decent and composed but I don’t see the range or passes to fill a Sarvas kind of role or the work rate and defensive skill for a Juninho role. And he’s 24 and has been in a professional setting for most of his career so this is who you get. I can see him as a reserve, here or elsewhere, but as I said before, he should move up or out. Diop: He’s made some amazing plays this year. But he also takes some crazy chances and I wonder if he only gets away with them because this is the USL. Unfortunately, there’s only one way to find out. I think we should look outside for new goalkeeper and keep Rowe and Diop as backups. Let them split time with Sneddon at the USL level so they all get some playing time. Diallo: Harder for me to judge, but right now apparently he’s below Romney (although the international factor may have something to do with it). If he wants to stay, another year in the USL would be good. Bringing in the French players was an interesting experiment. They seem decent, but none of them are slam-dunk bring-them-to-the-first-team kind of players. Local Boys Coming Home Lassiter: Has looked good in the USL, particularly when playing forward. The problem is that we have a huge backlog at forward: Keane, Dos Santos, Zardes as starters, Gordon, Villarreal, Jamieson off the bench. I understand why we played him wide; the more positions he can play, the more chances he has to play, but I’d like to see him play one full year in the USL at forward. Perhaps we can sign him to the first team as a reward for playing well, but then lend him back to G2. Steres: He looked fine, but not better than the others. Bailey: “Wholegrain” didn’t have an opportunity to do much so we should keep him for another year and try to give him more minutes. Franco: Looked OK. Didn’t bring much on the attack but hustled on defense. Given the lack of defenders in the academy pipeline, he should be kept around another year. Martin: We need to be developing central midfielders so I’d like to see him get more minutes next year. Bowen: He’s 26 years old and not a starter. Needs to move on. Nishanian: Not very many minutes and didn’t look good when I saw him. Let him go and bring in another CB.
The Pipeline Mendiola: Always the puzzle. There’s just a difference in quality when he touches the ball, but maybe the physical requirements of playing wide are always going to hold him back. McBean: He has skills, but I’m not a fan. As Dr. Phil pointed out, they’re using him to pull out central defenders and then have him distribute to others. It’s smart in that it best takes advantage of his skills. The problem is that our current wide mids (Mendiola, Olivera, Maganto) are also looking to pass so we have a shortage of players attacking the goal. For me, his skill set will not be enough to make it at the next level, so I’d like to see his minutes go to other players. Covarrubias: The best you could say about him was that he was OK. But I don’t see moments of real quality and so I’d rather play some of the other central midfielders with more upside, even if they will make more mistakes now. Villareal, Ja.: One of the players who needs more time in the middle: Fujii: Also needs more time in the middle. Amaya: I’d like to see him on the bench and reliably get time as a substitute. Vera: Same thing. Sneddon: Should get an occasional game. Lopez: He can still get minutes with the academy team. Ortiz: This looks like the new path: Graduates and signs with G2. Minutes this year with the U-18. Disappears next year. Minutes on the bench the year after. Year after gets starting minutes. The Loaners (there’s only one, so it’s a pun) Olivera: On loan from Fluminense. Talented on the ball. Runs around. A player in the style of Mendiola and Maganto. Perhaps better, but perhaps not. Do we have to buy or can we extend the loan?
Show us what you're made of at #LosDos' 2015 Open Tryouts!Register now: https://t.co/bQeF0ZfxjL pic.twitter.com/pdNPGhMxpV— LA Galaxy II (@LAGalaxyII) November 4, 2015
Here was the lineups from the last friendly http://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2015/1...cramento-republic-fc-5-1-offseason-exhibition First half: Bennett Sneddon, Joe Franco, Daniel Steres, Lee Nishanian, Hugo Arellano; Bradford Jamieson IV, Adrian Vera, Trialist, Jose Villarreal; Adonis Amaya, Trialist. Second half: Clement Diop; Elijah Martin, Lee Nishanian, Hugo Arellano, Joe Franco; Steve Palacios, Trialist, Alejando Covarrubias, Ryo Fujii; Jack McBean, Ariel Lassiter. I'm curious who the unnamed trialists were. Good to see the young players getting some time, particularly Arellano. Good to see Villarreal and Jamieson getting minutes. We need them healthy and back with the first team. Elijah Martin at left back is interesting. Missing players (for whatever reason): Diallo, Bailey, Bowen, Mendiola, Ja. Villarreal. It's interesting that Palacios is not listed as a trialist (which maybe means he's signed) http://gopoly.com/sports/msoc/2014-15/bios/palacios_steve_ldrl
Interesting to see Elijah Martin playing fullback. I think he could be a good #6 but that might not be the worst position for him. I've seen DM's transition to the flanks before, the mobility translates well. I wouldn't be shocked to see the Galaxy try to lock down Hugo Arellano soon. He's very talented and we don't have a surplus of academy centerbacks. Though Cornfield-Saunders who came over from Chivas is highly rated.
. @LAGalaxyII are playing a friendly vs. @FresnoFuego at 2 pm PT at the SHC Track and Field Stadium on 11/21. The game is open to the public— Adam Serrano (@AdamSerrano) November 20, 2015
Arrived 20 minutes late to the game (the 405 is getting worse and worse) and Jamieson got hurt a few minutes after I arrived. They were wrapping his thigh with ice and it might have been a hamstring, though that’s just speculation on my part. First and second half lineups: -------------70---------Amaya----------- Fujii----Vera-----55-----Jamieson/Mendiola Franco------Romney---Nishanian----51 ------------------Sneddon?---------------------------- ------------Lassiter----Amaya----------------- Fujii---Vera/Covarrubias-----55---------Mendiola Franco/Sorto------Romney---Nishanian----47 -----------------Sneddon?------------------------- No surprise, Mendiola and Lassiter were the ones who stood out. Lassiter only really does one thing well, but when that one thing is speed, it can change the game. Although, to put things in perspective, Arena said that Ari is still a couple of years from being ready for MLS. Maybe just Arena-talk, but sobering if we’re expecting help from this group any time soon. Mendiola is the spark of the team. They just play differently when he’s out there. It does worry me a bit that he’s the only really creative/technical player we have at this level. I spent a fair amount of time watching Amaya since this is the first time I’ve seen him in person. He has good size and good speed once he gets going (he doesn’t have Lassiter-type speed or Mendiola-type quickness). What I like about him is that he plays like a forward. He clearly likes to attack the goal and is comfortable in front of it. That said, there are some big weaknesses too. He took several shots with his left foot and there was no snap to them at all (I don’t know which foot he favors). He also seemed a little lost out there. He was very involved but slow to react sometimes. Hopefully this is just a matter of getting used to playing with the team and having your brain catch up with the speed of play. We did see a big improvement in Zardes from his first year to his second. Both goals (I saw) came from interactions between Lassiter, Mendiola and Amaya at the top of the box, so that was encouraging. Fujii was disappointing in that position. He had a breakaway on goal that he couldn’t do anything with. Given our system, where wide mids are responsible for creativity and for attacking the goal, he doesn’t fit the role. He had a great opportunity to put in a cross but he sent it high, although he had a better cross later in the game on the ground. You can see his technical skills, but you also need some physical attribute: size, speed, quickness, range, bite, and he hasn’t yet demonstrated something. I would have liked to see Vera and him swap positions, but I’m not the one who sees them every day in practice. The defense generally wasn't challenged so it’s hard to judge. 70 was a target forward but didn’t seem to offer much and missed a good opportunity from an Amaya cross. 55, 51, 47 didn’t do anything to impress. Saw Steres on the sidelines so he’s still around.
BTW, both Christian Onalfo’s and Ethan Zubak’s Wikipedia pages list them as playing for Galaxy II. Maybe they just meant that they played a game with G2, but that's not how it's written.
The schedule was released today. I cross referenced both the MLS and USL schedules and it looks like we don't have any double headers this year. A few days where both G1 and G2 are playing on the same day though but at least one is always away. Opening game is March 26th at home versus Arizona and we finish the regular season on September 24th against Real Monarchs. Due to the unbalanced schedule we play: Orange County - 4 Sacramento - 4 Arizona - 3 Colorado Springs - 3 Timbers 2 - 2 Real Monarchs - 2 RGV Toros - 2 San Antonio - 2 Tulsa - 2 Whitecaps 2 - 2 OKC - 1 Swope Park Rangers - 1 Saint Louis - 1 Seattle 2 - 1