Official: 2019 LA Galaxy II Season

0-0 draw at Oklahoma last weekend. Very solid performance from G2 who were the better team, and even could have scored another late goal.

Koreniuk Frank Lopez Tchilao
Jose Hernandez Iloski
Vera
Fiddes Gallagher Ontiveros Shultz
Eric Lopez
​

The midfield was superb. Jose Hernandez had his best game in a Galaxy uniform, with some great passings. Iloski was our best player even if he was sometimes inconsistent, but he knows how to create danger in the final third. Vera maybe had his best game at DM, he was way more agressive than usual.

Another solid game from Gallagher, and Fiddes also had his best game in a Galaxy jersey IMO.

Tchilao had another garbage performance, it's so depressing. Frank Lopez missed a golden chance in the last seconds. Koreniuk also had a couple of good oppotunities saved by former Los Dos keeper Laurendi. I think a goal could raise his confidence a lot.

Next game is tonight, away against El Paso Locomotive.

 

3-0 loss against El Paso Locomotive yesterday.

Jorge Hernandez Zubak Tchilao
Jose Hernandez Iloski
Vera
Fiddes Gallagher Ontiveros Shultz
Vom Steeg​

Not a lot to say, the opponent was miles better. Iloski was sent off during the second half. Terrible games from Fiddes, Vera and Zubak. Jorge Hernandez not influential enough. If you really want to find a MVP, maybe Ontiveros was a little bit better than the others, but clearly not outstanding.

On the other side, US international Jerome Kiesewetter was great, and is apparently having a good season. I won't be surprised to see him in MLS next year.

Also, not the first time I see Laurent Courtois (assistant coach for G2) blaming the ref when his team looks terrible... Not sure I want to see a coach instill this types of values...

Any given USL game vs LAGII #USL #refereesareincharge pic.twitter.com/lTs8nmUGrT

— laurent courtois (@laurentcourtois) June 9, 2019

Next game is next Saturday, away at Reno FC.

 

Good news :

The newest member of #LosDos

✍️ @LAGalaxyAcademy product Adam Saldaña: https://t.co/qpv5HJRzzR pic.twitter.com/EoK1AF3qct

— LA Galaxy II (@LAGalaxyII) June 18, 2019

 

4-2 loss at Reno last week end. Munoz tried another 4-4-2 and looked once again outplayed by a good team.

F. Lopez Williams
Jorge Hernandez Vera Ontiveros Jose Hernandez
Requejo Gallagher DePuy Shultz
Romero​

Reno could easily have scored two or three more goals in the first half. They run through our midfield again and again. At HT Munoz chose to switch to a 5-3-2 with Ontiveros in central defense, basically saying "midfield will be beaten anyway, let's strenghten the defense", which worked a little bit. I don't like this but I understand he had no other choice. Midfield has been a problem for a while now, with almost zero physicality from Vera, Acheampong, Ontiveros... The signings from Harvey and Walker are good ideas but without them, we're doomed.

Great cross from Requejo on the Williams goal, credit to him. Maybe our best defender but it won't say much. Jorge Hernandez had a couple of good moments but was enable to cope with the intensity and the physicality of the play, so a disappointing performance overall. Same for Jose Hernandez.

As for the good news, almost 30 minutes for Kobe Hernandez-Foster and 15 for Adam Saldana as subs. They didn't look out of place. Hopefuly we'll see them next game, which is on Saturday at home against New Mexico.

 

Game against New Mexico United in a few minutes.



Another 4-4-2 when Koreniuk and Jorge Hernandez are available... I don't know if Iloski will really play in the center. Where are Saldana and Hernandez-Foster?

 

1-1 in another uninspiring game. Los Dos began in a 4-4-2 with Hernandez on the right, and Tchilao on the left (unusual for him), and switched to a 4-3-3 in the second half with Williams playing at RW.

Not a lot to say about this game, Los Dos scored on a corner kick through DePuy, with a good first touch and a solid volley (remember he is a former forward). DePuy was my MOTM, THA was good as usual too. Iloski can't be Iniesta with the people around him but still looks our best offensive player (and a solid set pieces taker).

Otherwise, nothing new : Shultz has improved but is still too inconsistent, Fiddes is a liability (caught slipping on the New Mexico goal though DePuy's pass may not be the best TBH), Williams is OK as a target forward and that's all, Tchilao managed to drag some fouls but is still horrid in the final third, Frank Lopez is still one dimensional, Vera is easy to beat and loses the ball too much in dangerous areas.

My two biggest complaints with Munoz :

- we don't have a talented group on the offensive side, except for Iloski and maybe for Koreniuk and Zubak (two big "maybe"). Others have very little chance to even sign for the first team one day. I think it would be logical to put our best players in their best positions and let them grow... But I get the impression that Munoz is doing the opposite : trying to make our worst players comfortable even if it means switching our best formation (which is IMO the 4-3-3, and which is also the formation the first team is playing) and put our better players out of position.

- I don't like how he managed the young/Academy players recently. Team is in a bad streak, and he threw Jorge Hernandez in the starting lineup two very difficult away games in a row, and subbed in Saldana and Hernandez-Foster at Reno when we were down 2-4. You could think a home game againt a team who has played a midweek USOC match at Dallas could be a good moment to give a few youngsters a start or a sub appearance? Result : 0 minute for Hernandez, Cuevas, Saldana, Hernandez-Foster and Cervantes against New Mexico...

Team is on a eight-game winless streak, and has won just once since April, 6th. Next game is on Saturday, away at Orange County.

 

OK my bad, I missed it.

I won't hesitate much to give minutes to KHF since we don't have any solid project at LB besides of him (and Traore). Last year we played Mendez and Llanez and I don't think it hurt anybody.

 

2-1 win at Orange County last weekend. Congrats to the boys, it was a close game but the win was not stolen. First goal scored by Frank Lopez following a great long ball from Iloski, and Lopez also scored the second goal on a typical play from him : high press, hustle, and not afraid to take a shot.



Munoz switched to a 3-5-2 for this one. I'm not a fan for our central defenders, as DePuy and THA are relatively slow and were caught by a few through balls. I noticed it last year, but Requejo looks better as a wingback in a three-man defense than as a LB. Not surprising, Koreniuk was not convincing and was trying too much to dribble the opposite defense.

I'm also not surprised our first win in nearly three months came with Harvey at DM and Iloski as a real 8. Both were our best field players, Iloski as usual was great at creating chances.

But the MVP was Vom Steeg, who made a lot of amazing saves. Very solid season from him.

Next game on Thursday at Las Vegas.

 

2-2 draw at Las Vegas a week ago. Don't look at the game, pitch was terrific and camera was also terrible. Otherwise, OK performance from G2, can't blame them to go route one in this conditions.



Ernesto Walker made his return from the Gold Cup (where he didn't play one minute) but didn't have a good game. His fellow Panamanian Carlos Harvey was on pace for MOTM after a remarkable first half where he was everywhere and scored a goal, but second half was rough for him, conceding the PK who lead to the equalizing goal.

Credit to Requejo for his great cross on Lopez goal (who stole the goal from Williams), this wingback position suits him well.

Moment of the match was IMO when Gallagher was subbed off. He was having a good game and the team was defending a one-goal lead. Fiddes entered and was at fault on the equalizing goal. Why no DePuy who is a way better defender? That's on Munoz.

One thing to note : Jose Villarreal started for Las Vegas. He was totaly invisible and was subbed off at halftime...

Next game is next week at home against a really good side, Reno FC (where Mendiola and Klimenta play).

 

On Instagram Lopez said the ultimate goal is still to sign a first team contract with the Galaxy, so he's not giving up.

The entire organisation is lacking strikers, it's baffling. The only current ones are Zlatan (likely not with LA next year), Pontius (same, and he's not a pure striker), Zubak (overrated, and will have less impact than McBean and Lassiter IMO), and Williams (mediocre target player who will never play for the first team). It's worrying.

If Lopez is loaned, and Zubak mostly with the first team, maybe G2 will get a striker soon because we are thin at forward (even more with a two strikers system).

 

And Lopez scored a brace in his San Antonio debut, with a goal from Jamieson too :

 

Game against Reno in less than an hour.

 

2-1 loss at home. Overall a boring game, except for the last minutes when Los Dos were pushing for an equalizer.

Koreniuk had a very solid game and was the only one to create some danger (watch the highlights, it's a Koreniuk show), but it's too hard when you're the only one in the team who can do this. Deserved goal, I hope more will come. But we're so thin at forward, I hope the new Gutierrez guy can cut it, even Zubak would be an upgrade.

The subs were... Interesting. Jorge Hernandez entered for Tchilao in the 60th minute and immediately sent a shot on the post, and looked way more competent than Tchilao. Credit to Vera, who had solid cameo. Last sub was completely WTF, Gonzalez chose to play Gallagher at LB, and Fiddes as a RW (?!). Nothing good came from this obviously.

Otherwise, Walker and Harvey were noninfluential. I will never say enough how Tchilao is an embarrassment. THA was above anyone else, clearly our best defender this year.

Next game is on Wednesday at Tulsa, another bad team.

Some interesting words from the new head coach Gonzalez : https://www.lagalaxy.com/post/2019/07/20/post-game-quote-sheet-junior-gonzalez-july-20-2019