Official: 2019 LA Galaxy II Season

2-0 win at home against El Paso. Solid performance, it's great to finish the season with a success and a shutout, the sixth of the season.



The four defenders were solid, but the MOTM was undoubtedly Carlos Harvey, who was recovering balls everywhere on the field and was impressive as founding our attacks and dribbling through the midfield, as he did on the second goal. Maybe his best game of the year. We'll need him.

Iloski is not there yet since coming back from his injury but as usual you can see he has the best vision in the team. Very average game from Jorge Hernandez, who's not physical enough to play in the midfield IMO.

Season MVP Kai Koreniuk assisted on both Galaxy goals, scored by Zubak and Kamara. Zubak and Koreniuk finish the season as the leading goalscorers, with nine goals.

With the win Los Dos finish the season at the ninth place, with a 12-10-12 record. Quite a turnaround since Munoz was sacked, congratulations to the coach Junior Gonzalez and the team for reaching the playoffs for the first time since 2016.

G2 will play a play-in round on Wednesday at Austin, who finished 8th with the same number of points. The good news is that we beat them twice this year, a road win is totaly possible.

 

Big game is tomorrow but don't forget G2 also have a playoff game tonight at Austin, at 5:30 p.m. PT. First playoff game since 2016.

Let's go boys, show us you have it for the big picture!

 

Season is over for Los Dos after a 2-0 defeat at Austin in the playoffs. If I have to sum up the game, I'll say that G2 were beaten more by experience than by talent. Austin, who has a lot of former MLS and experienced players, took advantage of a Fiddes mistake on a counterattack and also scored on a corner kick, then hacked the game, committing fouls after fouls, and wasted time after time. They deserved the win but the gap of talent is very close to say the least.



My biggest grief will be against Mohammed Kamara, who responded too much to Austin players provocations, took himself out of the game and never looked dangerous. As I said a few weeks ago, talent is here, brain is not (yet).

THA didn't have a bad game, but looked unusually nervous. Harvey and Jose Hernandez were up to the fight in midfield and held their ground. Jorge Hernandez is not physical enough to compete in this type of game and was rightfully subbed off at halftime. Iloski replaced him and had a mixed game, notably missing a pass to Kamara who could have had an easy tap-in.

The two Awards winners ended on a high note, as DePuy was the best defender and Koreniuk the only dangerous player in the first half. Not great performances but talent is here.

Congratulations to the team for reaching the playoffs after a bad debut, I would have called the season a success if they had gotten through a playoff round. Still, Los Dos is slowly heading to the right direction.

 

I begin tonight my review of the G2 season. First of all I want to make a global statement : the team has improved over the past year, you can feel G2 is heading in a positive direction, as the whole club is since DTK came. There have been some good and "creative" signings : the scouting of Koreniuk, the loans of two panamanian internationals, Kamara signing with the team a few months after he was considered as a top talent in the Draft, bring DePuy, a former forward, and play him in the defense, Romero from a top team in Mexico...

Junior Gonzalez has done a great job since coming in. Just to compare with Munoz :

- Munoz : 19 games, 5-6-8 record (W-L-D), 29 goals for, 39 goals against.
- Gonzalez : 15 games, 7-4-4 record, 30 goals for, 23 against (including two losses against the best team by far in Western Conference, Phoenix).

Before reading my reviews, you have to understand one thing : last year we had two players who literally dominated the USL and looked extremely talented : Efrain Alvarez and Diedie Traore. This year, we had none, but the team is way more balanced with a lot of good players (for USL). Overall, barring two defenders (THA and DePuy), I don't expect any player to be ready to contribute to the first team in 2020. Keep that in mind.

 

I'm starting with the goalkeepers (in parentheses is the year of birth) :

- Vom Steeg (1997) : I was not very high on Vom Steeg after his one and a half season with us, but my mind has changed a little bit. For the first time I saw Justin being decisive and making some key stops. He still makes very few mistakes, and looks like a calm keeper. Lead the team with 4 clean sheets in 17 games. He's not great but I can see the potential. I'm OK to have him as the third string keeper in the first team depth chart.

- Lopez (1999) : this was the year of the confirmation for Eric Lopez, who was sharing the starting duty with Vom Steeg. Lopez is undoubtly gifted, and can make some incredible saves with amazing reflexes. That said, he has to improve with the ball at his feet and also to not fear to get out of his goal to catch some crosses. He's not here yet but he's one of the top talent in this Los Dos team. At the moment I agree Vom Steeg may be a little bit better, but Lopez is more talented and has way more upside IMO. A name to remember.

- Romero (1998) : played sporadically at the beginning of the season and then lost his spot to Lopez and Vom Steeg. Didn't look bad but didn't look decisive at all. Conceded 15 goals in 4 games. A little bit disappointing from him, but given his resume (former Mexico YNT), I'm all for giving him another chance next year.

 

Next are my reviews on the RBs :

- Shultz (1996) : I think I didn't mention him a lot during the season, so it's time to give him some credit : Shultz had a good year and significantly improved from last season. He erased all the mistakes he did last year and, while not looking stellar, was very consistent. It's not a hasard he lead the team in minutes played (33 games played, 32 starts). He's not awesome at some things, but not terrible either. The problem is that's it's still not good enough for MLS, and that we already have Araujo, who's five and a half year younger (!), and obviously better. That said, given the improvement, I'm not opposed to keep him and see how far he can progress.

- Cuevas (2003) : very young fullback who just played four games this year (at both RB and LB, but given he's right footed I guess he will be better on the right). Looked very composed with the ball but the physical part of the game was hard for him, as was his man marking. Still early to judge, he's an interesting prospect.

 

Next ones : the centerbacks.

- Hilliard-Arce (1995) : one of the best G2 players this season, if not the best. THA does it all : good in one-on-one battle, good anticipation, solid in the air, very dangerous on set pieces, looks like a clear leader on the field... I think he deserves a spot in the first team but I wonder if he has much upside. Anyway, keep him at least for depth and if he is that good, he will establish himself as a candidate for a starting spot.

- DePuy (1994) : read what I wrote a few months ago about him after his game against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup : https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/p-...-20-19-7-30pm-pt.2105835/page-7#post-38089835 I think at the moment THA is a little bit better than DePuy but Nick may have more upside. I bet he will sign with the first team this winter and with him, Steres and THA we will have good cheap depth.

- Ontiveros (1995) : the swiss army knife of this team, Ontiveros played RB, CB, LB and DM this year. He mostly did OK but was better at CB IMO. Very mobile player, who doesn't excel at anything, but has a tendancy to make one costly mistake per game. Very much like a few other players (Shultz, Jose Hernandez, Frank Lopez, Williams...), he's a decent USL player and I won't be against giving him another chance next year, but I don't expect him to contribute to the first team one day.

- Shaibu (1998) : played just one half since his signing in August, and botched a clearance which lead to a goal for the opposite team. Obviously I didn't see enough but giving the profile (Tanzanian defender, on loan from a third division Czech club), I don't expect much.

Defender Michael Gallagher left mid-season I believe, so I won't make a review but if you want one, feel free to ask.

 

Next reviews : the left backs.

- Fiddes (1996) : started most of the year (played nearly 2000 minutes) and didn't impress. Fiddes has good speed and that's his only quality. Beaten too many times, too many errors at the back, including a costly mistake in the playoffs. Bench player in a low USL team at best, and he was a first round pick of the 2018 Draft. Will turn 24 in January so not so young, time to move on.

- Requejo (1996) : I noticed a few qualities last season but doubted he could reach the first team, especially after Traore's revelation. Requejo was injured most of the year I believe, and just played 8 games (6 starts). He didn't show well. He will turn 24 next year too, his chance is gone. I think moving to Tijuana at an early age completely killed his career.

Obviously our biggest prospects at this spot are Diedie Traore and Kobe Hernandez-Foster (he started the first game of the season and made just one appearance then, I think he's gone overseas), so I'm not worried.

Speaking of him, Traore scored one of the goal of the year in USL :

 

Next ones : the CMs :

- Harvey (2000) : one of the two Panamanians loaned to Los Dos at the beginning of the year, Harvey was one of the good surprises of the season. A pure DM who recovers the ball a lot and who's very hard to move (physically he's above the young USL players), he's also not afraid to take a shot from distance (that said, he shoots maybe too much). Still very young, I question his consistency and his ability to stay focused for 90 minutes. He has not been that impressive, but I would like to see him back next year.

- Saldana (2002) : played as a DM and also as a box-to-box midfielder, the Academy product (who's currently at the U17 WC) showed one thing : he's far from being ready. Not influential enough and making costly mistakes. I had a hard time looking for his qualities. He disappointed me, but of course it's still early to judge him.

- Vera (1997) : I've never been high on Vera, and the club is slowly moving away from him, giving his minutes to other players. Vera is an average box-to-box midfielder, who's too often behind the play to play DM and doesn't have the vision to play higher up the field. I've always felt he was overrated (a little bit like Zubak : Academy then G2 players with surely a lot of love for Galaxy, but definitely too limited), he has no future with the first team so time to move on.

- Acheampong (1997) : fancy player with an occasionnal play who'll make you jump out from your seat, but otherwise doesn't bring much to the team. He tries too much to be too pretty and it leads too often to a turnover. I've lost patience with him, he should leave.

- José Hernandez (1996) : an intriguing signing this offseason, the former RSL Academy product lead the team in assists (five, along with three goals). A little man (5 foot 3) with a lot of grit, good vision and solid short passing, he's a clever player. I particularly appreciated how smart he was to close out some games. That said, he's another player with obvious qualities I fear it won't be enough at the MLS level, because he has not been outstanding and he might be too small...

- Iloski (1995) : I'm not afraid to say it : Iloski is the most talented and the smartest player of this team. Another small man (5 foot 7), Iloski is a pure 8 who's quick, has an incredible vision, is a fighter and a good set pieces taker, and knows how to finish. His shortcomings? Obviously he's sometimes a little bit easy to move and he has had injury problems his whole career (he missed a few months this year), but we will be dumb to move away from his talent without giving him another year or a try at the January camp.

- Cuello (1997) : most of you know him so I will make it short : Cuello is an old-fashioned 10 who has a good touch and knows how to use the ball in the final third. He's also a solid set pieces taker. In a lot of ways he indeed reminds me of Schelotto back in the Columbus days. Cuello had one goal and three assists in 519 minutes so that's not bad. The problem is Cuello is too slow with the ball and also in execution. Talent is here and GBS must like him so I won't be surprised or disappointed to see him back next year.

I won't make a review of the other Panamanian, Ernesto Walker, who was called back from his club mid-season. Feel free to ask if you have some questions.

 

Time for the reviews of the wingers, with a few interesting players...

- Koreniuk (1998) : after a few years in a couple of youth teams of some of the top flight clubs in Netherlands, Koreniuk, who's born in Florida, came back to the US. And he was right, as he earned the team MVP trophy this season, finished the year with 9 goals (lead the team) and 4 assists (2nd in the team) in 2,200 minutes, and also played with the first team in the Leagues Cup. Koreniuk is a right-footed player who can play on both wings but mainly played on the left in a 4-3-3 this season. He likes to go one-on-one against the opposite defender, he's OK at this but what is a lot more impressive is how he's clinical near the box. His crossing is decent, his runs are clever, and he's got great shooting skills. Really good player to follow, maybe he will sign with the first team this offseason or maybe next winter, because I don't think he can contribute right now and will need another year in USL. I'm a fan.

- Kamara (1997) : arrived late in the season, Kamara was rumored to sign a Generation Adidas contract prior to the season, but chosed to go to Germany instead. He left a few months later and signed with G2, so it means we probably got a high first round pick in the Draft for nothing, so credit to DTK and co. Kamara played as a right winger. He had very solid numbers with 4 goals and 1 assist in 9 starts (10 games played, 807 minutes). Kamara is a good dribbler who can easily pass his defender. He's also a nice finisher and I wonder if he could be better as a solo striker. The problems with Kamara are that he tends to dribble too much (and I mean, really TOO MUCH) and sometimes he can completely get out of his game mentally by responding to provocations from his opponents. Talent is here and another year in USL could help him a lot, but I wonder if his soccer IQ will improve.

- Jorge Hernandez (2000) : I've been asking for more minutes for him for about two years, and Jorge didn't disappoint. The young kid from the Academy signed with Los Dos this year and mainly played as a winger until Kamara's arrival, then he was pulled back to midfield. Every year I make the comparison with Jose Villarreal because it's obvious : two small left-footed players with great vision, nice dribbling skills, solid passing and who can bang a golazo some times. That said, I think Hernandez has no future in the midfield as he needs a lot of space to put a few dribbles (and sometimes earn a PK) or a dangerous cross inside the box. Skills are here, but his height (5 foot 7) could be a problem.

- Gutierrez (1998) : signed mid-season from the youth team of Guadalajara and made a few substitute appearances. Had one goal and one assist in 124 minutes which is nice, but doesn't look great overall. Still early to judge but I won't hold my breath.

- Tchilao (1996) : was a second round pick in the 2019 SuperDraft, and was absolutely awful. Numbers don't lie : Tchilao got 0 goal and 0 assist in 18 games played, 14 starts. Hard to find any quality to the guy, who looked raw as hell. Already 23 years old, I don't want to see him in a Galaxy kit next year as he probably was our worst player this season.

 

I finish my review with the forwards :

- Zubak (1998) : at the end of each year since he began to play in USL I've said the same two things about Zubak : 1) I think he will never be good enough to contribute to the first team, 2) I see some progress every year, so why not keeping him and see until where he can improve? My first assessment still stands but for the first time, I didn't see Zubak improve. He didn't have a bad year : he co-lead the team with 9 goals in 1557 minutes and he's a good USL striker, but that's all. His finishing is decent but clearly not great, otherwise he's "meh" at best, and as you know he looked horrid in his few outings with the first team. Maybe he will get another chance next year in USL because he's got some credit left in the organisation and he's still young, but I don't expect anything from him.

- Williams (1997) : a former Portland 2 forward signed prior to the season, Williams is a typical target guy, big and strong in the air, capable of scoring with his head. That said, he's not incompetent with his feet which was a good surprise. Finishing is OK but nothing more. Could be a good depth option in USL but I don't think he can be a lot better than this.

- Frank Lopez (1995) : began the year with Los Dos then was loaned to San Antonio during the summer, a move I read as a sign of non-confidence from the club. Scored 14 goals in 1824 minutes with the two clubs, which is a solid number (almost the same from last season), but my opinion didn't change from last year (read it here : https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/official-2018-la-galaxy-ii-season.2080470/page-10#post-37282656).

To sum up, we have three forwards who look good enough for USL, but I don't expect any of them to have an impact with the first team. So what to do next year? I think Lopez is gone, and I can live with Zubak and Williams as our forwards (and I want to try Kamara up top), because I don't know if we have a striker ready for the USL in our Academy.

 

And I finish with some Awards, this could be my last post for this year on this thread :

MVP :

1) Hilliard-Arce
2) Koreniuk
3) DePuy

Most improved player :

1) Shultz
2) Jorge Hernandez
3) Vom Steeg

Biggest disappointment :

1) Tchilao
2) Acheampong
3) Romero

 

I'll create the 2020 thread, thanks for posting the roster news!