Official: 2018 LA Galaxy II Season

Next on my review are the fullbacks :

- Traore (1999) : a french left-footed guy signed following G2 trials, Traore impressed me. He's a big and strong defender, very hard to move, but who's also fast and technically gifted. He loves to run at defenders and open some spaces. His crossing is something between "OK" and "good", but he managed to get 5 assists in 13 games (11 starts), where he played both left FB and left CB in a 3-5-2. He needs to improve in two areas IMO : he needs to be more clever with the ball and stop running at defenders (he sometimes loses too much possession), and combine more with his teammates, and he also loses his man behind him too many times (not saying it's happening every game though). Overall he's my defender of the year even if he has played limited minutes. At the beginning of the 2020 MLS season he will be 21, he could be ready after another year in USL. A player to watch next year.

- Requejo (1996) : a LB signed after an unsuccessful stint at Tijuana, Requejo had an OK season. His main quality is that he's a good player in the final third, very solid at combining in tight spaces with his teammates and not afraid to take a shot. The mid-season tactical change from a 4-4-2 to a 3-5-2 helped him a little bit to show his qualities, but he injured himself just when Traore was beginning to impress. OK at passing and defending, but nothing outstanding. Third best defender this year IMO (behind Traore and THA). With Traore deserving a starting role in 2019, I'm not sure there's a place for him, but he could have a good career in USL.

- Shultz (1996) : 48th pick in the 2018 Draft, Shultz was one of the worst player for G2 this year. Played both RB and right CB, looked just OK going forward, constantly looking passive and losing his man in defense. He should be gone.

- Fiddes (1996) : 17th pick in the 2018 Draft, initially picked by Vancouver who released him mid-season without playing a minute for them, Fiddes was signed by G2 in August. I don't know what to think of him, he was described as a speedy LB with solid crossing, but only played as a left CB in a three-man defense (8 games played), and looked anonymous. So, maybe keep him as depth player, or release him, I don't know.

Two promising players to watch who made their debuts with Los Dos this year : Miguel Araujo (2001, a RB just being selected for the U-20 USNT for the CONCACAF Championship) and Kobe Hernandez-Foster (2002, LB).

 

Still trying to recover from the weekend tragedy, my review on the CBs...

- Hilliard-Arce (1995) : he didn't play much with the first team, and played 14 games for Los Dos. As I said above, I would rate him as the second best defender this year. He looked good but not outstanding. Physical, solid in the air, solid at reading crosses, and looked like the leader he was described. That said, I'm concerned about his technical abilities, his first touch is sometimes very bad and made the backline exposed a few times because of it. Speed is not his biggest quality too. I'm a little bit concerned about THA because he's "old", I don't know if he will progress a lot in the USL but I'm not sure we can afford to start him next year...

- Arellano (1998) : IMO the biggest disappointment of the season. Hugo was one of the best player of G2 last year, and was terrible at everything this year : lost his man a few times, too often beaten, conceded PKs, too many hard challenges, lost his nerves and was uselessly provocative toward his opponents... He's still young and should start next season, but what a down year from him.

- Engola (1997) : little improvement from last year, average at best. Too often beaten, not good enough technically, sometimes too rough. Very little chance to break into the first team, I rather give his minutes to someone else.

- Zanga (1997) : a converted CM, Zanga looked better as a CB this year, so credit to him and Munoz for making the switch. That said, he's still not good, very often and easily beaten. Hard to move from a physical perspective but doesn't know what to do with the ball. Same conclusion as for his cameroonian fellow Engola : he should be gone.

Little correction : I think both Araujo and Hernandez-Foster (see my post above) can play CB, and from what I understand it's Araujo's natural position.

 

Next ones : the CMs.

- Vera (1997) : the 2017 official MVP had a rough year. I thought his goals (and the ocean of mediocrity around him) made him look way better last year than he actually is. In 2018, he played as a CM and looked incapable of dealing with USL speed and physicality. Always behind the play, and not very effective in the final third (1 goal and 3 assists in 1906 minutes), he was average at the very best. Should not be more than a bench option next year, almost zero chance to land to the first team someday.

- Acheampong (1997) : I praised him at the beginning of the season, I was wrong. Another player who, much like Vera, was a traffic cone on defense. He sometimes tried too much with the ball, with being mostly ineffective. That's why I was high on him at the beginning of the season, you could feel he can make a difference but in the end, he's often trying to be pretty just to be pretty (and it doesn't work a lot). I would like to see him as a winger, but frankly I won't hold my breath.

- Appiah (1993) : decent year honestly, OK technically, OK as a DM, OK at taking corners and shots, but had up and down moments. Could definitely have a career in USL, but at 25 I can't see him having an impact with the first team.

- Saldana (2002) : the US international played 149 minutes this year, but didn't look out of place. A player to follow.

So not really a bright future there... The problem is our two best CMs this year, Julian Buescher (6 assists in 21 games, leader of the team despite being gone in early August) and Alex Mendez, are no longer with the club. If you want more infos on them, please ask.

 

OK, I will give you a few words on Mendez in the next couple of days!

Next players on my review, the offensive midfielders :

- Alvarez (2002) : the 2018 MVP, righfully so. 17 games played, 13 starts, 1239 minutes, 12 goals and 3 assists. He played mostly in the 10 position Incredible finisher with both feet, capable of beat anyone on the dribble, solid with long and short passing. What's amazing is his maturity despite his young age. He understand the rythm of the game, when possession is needed, when you need to make a foul to stop the other team... I love how he is a fighter and don't rest on his laurels, he's not just 100% skills. My only concern : he's not that fast (but not slow either). 3 assists look low but I bet that with better forwards he could have a lot more. He's only 16 but could be useful to the first team next year, having a player capable of making a difference from nothing could help us a lot in tight games.

- Aguilar (1993, almost nine years older than Efrain... Wow!) : after a 2017 year when he didn't play much following a devastating injury, I think Aguilar had a surprisingly solid year. 3 goals and 3 assists in 1732 minutes from mainly a right winger position. Good skills, good on the dribble, he's also a solid finisher. I don't know if it will be enough for the first team but I won't be opposed to give him a run in the January camp. A little bit better than average who could benefit from the players around him, he reminds me of Hector Jimenez.

- Jonathan Hernandez (1997) : mediocre and completely uninspired player who was tried a few times at RB (but mainly played as a RW), we should have give his 791 minutes to someone else. My opinion on him didn't change from last year.

- Jorge Hernandez (2000, 18 years old today) : a little left-footed player who has played on the right side for G2, Hernandez is all about skills (I said it a multiple times, he reminds me of Jose Villarreal, with all it implies). Scored a beautiful goal in the last game (). But how on earth did he just play 66 minutes this year, when he played 795 minutes last year? How could mediocre players like Jonathan Hernandez, Nate Shultz or even Miguel Aguilar get minutes over him?

 

Last review : the forwards.

- Frank Lopez (1995) : if you had told me at the beginning of the season that Lopez will finish the year as our golden boot, I wouldn't have trusted you. He started terribly with a few horrid performances, and suddenly something clicked and he was a goal machine, finishing the year with 13 goals in 28 games. His force : he's a fighter, he's always chasing the ball, always pressing the opponent, but is sometimes uselessly rough. His confidence looks always high, he's never afraid to shoot. That said, his technic left to be desired, and will not be enough at the MLS level (McBean, Lassiter, even Zubak have higher skills, and didn't have success in the top league). Very little room for improvment at 23 IMO. That's why I won't expect him to feature with the first team next year. I also don't know if he will count as an international (he's cuban but played a few years in Miami).

- Zubak (1998) : solid year from Zubak with 11 goals in 31 games, but I don't forget his numbers are enhanced by one hat trick and a four goal performance against terrible defenses. That said, there's no doubt he improved from last year, finishing looks better but still not elite. I like how he knows how to put himself in dangerous situations, and I feel he's slowly growing as a leader. Still far from MLS level (remember the USOC game when he was our worst player, he often looks average for USL), but my conclusion will be the same as last year : he's still young (20), he's progressing, let's see how far he can go.

- Dhillon (1995) : Dhillon had an average 2017 year, and didn't look better this year. Inconsistent finishing, absolutely average at everything (header, runs, passes), at 23 I can't see how he will reach the first team. Still, his goals per minutes is far from terrible (3 goals in 666 minutes), but it's time to move on.

- Amaya (1996) : tore his ACL last year, didn't play a single minute this year and didn't live up his potential when he played in 2017, time to move on. Looked promising a few years ago, I clearly don't know what happened.

- Lassiter (1994) : I don't need to describe him, his numbers this year were still solid : 5 goals and 4 assists in 12 games (10 starts).

Just to put things in perspective :

- Alvarez : 12 goals and 3 assists in 1239 minutes (17 games, 13 starts). A goal every 103.3 minutes, a goal or an assist every 82.6 minutes.
- Lopez : 13 goals and 1 assist in 1666 minutes (28 games, 19 starts). A goal every 128.3 minutes, a goal or an assist every 119 minutes.
- Zubak : 11 goals and 2 assists in 2119 minutes (31 games, 24 starts). A goal every 192.6 minutes, a goal or an assist every 163 minutes.
- Lassiter : 5 goals and 4 assists in 798 minutes (12 games, 10 starts). A goal every 159.6 minutes, a goal or an assist every 88.6 minutes.

When you know how Ari can't break into the first team, and the fact he's probably a better soccer player, you can't be optimistic about Lopez or Zubak chances of having an impact in MLS.