Next review : the center back position. - Jalen Neal (2003) : after being a revelation of the last two seasons, let's say it : Neal disappointed. He did not have a slump, but didn't shine at all. I praised him a lot of times for his calm presence and his anticipation, it was a little bit the opposite this year : emergency defending, not looking confident, stupid red card. I'm not worried at all, but I will be very interested by how he bounces back. - Liam Doyle (1992) : one of the oldest player to ever play for G2 (I can think of only one older : former player-coach Laurent Courtois), it's time to be honest : from an individual perspective, Doyle had a decent season. The USL veteran is good in the air, and his main quality is he knows how to put his body between the shooter or the crosser and the goal. He lead the team by far in both clearances and blocks. The issue ? He sometimes botched these, leading to very dangerous situations. He isn't good enough for the first team, but he did OK overall. - Marcus Ferkranus (2003) : Ferkranus started only two games before being loaned to Phoenix last July, making only five more appearances. Though I would have liked to see him start alongside Neal, I must admit Ferkranus never impressed me. If I have to guess, Marcus is a typical physical defender who was above anyone else in youth teams, but is not good enough for the senior leagues. His Galaxy career might be in danger. - Dante Campbell (1999) : a former TFC II man (where Vanney might have known him), Campbell was the swiss army knife of this team like many others before him (Bawa, Ontiveros, Vera...). He played in almost every game but had just eight starts between CB, CM and RB, and looked average. I can tell you he's powerful and will be OK when you need him. He just doesn't excel anywhere and can make some stupid mistakes. Already old for G2, he can go and try his luck in the Canadian PL. - Axel Essengue (2003) : as it seems to be the case for the last three years, Essengue, another Academy player, had a run at the end of the season. I saw some progress, his first touch still looks heavy and his soccer IQ seems low, as he was caught many times behind his back. Still early to judge but he's probably the same profile as Ferkranus. I won't hold my breath.
Next review : the left backs. - Josh Drack (1999) : Drack is an interesting case. The 2021 first-round Draft pick is a former winger/attacking midfielder who was converted to the LB position. After an impressive 2021 season where he lead the team in assists, Drack has stalled a little bit this year. Very good at making difference on his first touch or a penetrating run, capable of combining in tight spaces in the final third, I've described him a couple of times as a playmaker from the LB position. Drack also scored three goals on free kicks, which is fairly impressive. His weaknesses come from the defensive side of the game : opposite players like to run behind his back and he allows too many free runs at the back post. The idea was right and Drack is not that far from the first team, but I don't see him being good enough. I like Josh and I feel sorry for him, but I'm not sure he should stay at the Galaxy any longer. - Chandler Vaughn (2000) : a late round pick in this year's Draft, Vaughn didn't impress. I didn't see any qualities in him, and many times he looked hesitant and out of place. Just six games with a couple of injuries, hopefully we'll see more next year. - Felipe Cobian (2004) : due to injuries to both Drack and Vaughn, Los Dos had to rely on a very young Academy player for a couple of games. Cobian played eleven times and was terrible, like an intimidated boy among men. Too early to judge.
My next two reviews will be on the central midfielders. I will split it between the defensive-minded and the offensive-minded CMs but, as you will read, it's not that simple. - Adam Saldana (2002) : if you read me for a long time, you certainly know I've never been a fan of Saldana. And to be fair, he's slowly changing my mind. Saldana, a very deep defensive midfielder, is all about anticipation and all his defensive game is about being at the right place at the right time : he's good at fighting in tight spaces in the midfield, and collecting lose and 50/50 balls. He's making up his lack of speed and athleticism with his fighting spirit. On this part of the game, he has progressed, but I was more impressed by how more confident he was with the ball. Saldana has always been a depressing DM uncapable of creating something, but I saw changes this year : he can get out of pressure with a good first touch and make a forward pass. Obviously I'm not talking about a Pirloesque line breaking pass, but that's something. Adam has undoubtly improved over the last three years, it's not fast but he's becoming a player to watch. I have my doubts about his profile which doesn't match a lot with the possession style Vanney is trying to set up, but way to go Adam ! - Carlos Harvey (2000) : a horrid year for Harvey. The guy has talent and overall has looked decent, but he made some stupid mistakes and bonehead fouls all season long. Focusing for 90 minutes has always been an issue for him, but this year he has looked a little bit different : it's like he's disappointed and angry about failing to play with the first team, maybe he feels he's losing his time. I agree with him on the last part and he should be gone but that's not a reason to abandon your teammates. - Adrian Gonzalez (2003) : I don't know what to do and what to expect with Gonzalez. To me, he was developed through the Academy as a DM and has the qualities of a DM : hard-nosed guy who loves to get one-on-one, sometimes a little bit provocative, I described him a few times as a "pitbull". The problem ? This year, he played everywhere except for the DM position. And it's clear he was not comfortable. Gonzalez is capable of making long runs through the field but doesn't know much what to with the ball, especially in the final third, resulting in many wasted opportunities. IMO, he was one of the most head-scratching and over-used player this year (thank you Damet who killed the team shape by doing this). So who is really Gonzalez ? A guy who was highly-touted and who we failed to develop at his best position, or a guy who's struggling to take the next step and with obvious limitations for a modern 6 ? We'll know more next year.
Next ones : the offensive-minded CMs : - Taylor Davila (2000) : Davila is a deep-lying midfielder who has a good soccer IQ, solid skills and an excellent passing game. The problem remains the same : he's slow and not physical. I've enjoyed watching him play for the last two years, and (to echo what I said about Saldana) he's probably more suited with Vanney's style. I think we should have used him more this season, he has something in his bag and he could have helped a lot the balance of this team. A little bit strange and disappointing season for him, he's probably gone. - Rémi Cabral (1999) : Kevin twin brother has strangely almost the same qualities and defaults, but 1) is less talented 2) looked curiously more confident. Cabral was overused by Damet in a CAM position where he looked terrible, not having any soccer IQ or sense of positioning and uncapable of making any decisive pass. Cabral looked better playing closer to the goal, which is not surprising. He's a natural winger, like his brother. Overall, he's an average player, and a terrible finisher, capable of making one very good play every five or six games, then being meh. He was fourth on the team in minutes played, which is baffling. We should never had given him so many responsabilities and so much time, he's not worth it. - Callum Johnson (1997) : a 2022 Draftee, Johnson has barely played this year : only 96 minutes in five sub appearances over the summer. Was he injured before and after ? I don't know, but I'm sure we could have used him, as he looked dynamic with good vision and scored one goal in these limited minutes. Just to note : Paulo Rudisill (2006) and Brandon Tellez (2005) from the Academy also made their debut at the end of the year.
Next position : the wingers. - Cameron Dunbar (2002) : he's gone so I'll make it short. Dunbar had a good season, especially statistically : 12 goals and 3 assists in 33 games. He was better as the season went on but never looked that good. A speedy winger, he mainly played on the left and liked to crash inside the box to finish some crosses. The problem ? Despite his good numbers, Dunbar didn't look that sharp in front of the goal and should have scored at least five to six goals. Could he succeed in Minnesota ? Yes, he could be decent in MLS, but I wouldn't bet on it and with Pérez and probably Mutatu, we may have better prospects here. - Jonny Pérez (2003) : I must speak of him, because even if he barely played for Los Dos (4 games, 3 goals and 3 assists), he had some wonderful solo runs and amazing shots. He has talent, he's maturing, he should be in the rotation next year with Kevin Cabral possibly gone and Douglas Costa on his last legs. - Axel Picazo (2001) : Picazo did OK in 2021 but finished the year with an injury, and has clearly plateaued this year. A true winger who likes to go one-on-one, Picazo lacks phisicality and I thought he lost speed this offseason, making him ineffective most of the time. Too bad because his touch and his crosses are not bad, and he has a good workrate. With a little bit of work he could have a place in USL, but with the Galaxy I think it's over. - Duhaney Williams (1997) : I just realized he was that old... And it makes his signing even more incomprehensible. Williams is a strong and speedy athlete and that is all. His touch is horrid, and he's not smart with the ball. One of the worst player in G2 history, and his age isn't even an excuse. - Tsubasa Endoh (1993) : the former TFC man came in the summer, had an immediate impact, scoring two goals from the bench in 18 minutes in his debut, then only played... 53 minutes. I don't know what's the plan for him, and it's the symbol of the 2022 Los Dos season to me : I'm not sure they knew what they were doing.
On Williams, I think he was considered in the after-market "draft pick" mold along the lines of other college players we've signed to the G2s after the draft, such as Aguirre, DePuy, Steres, and Romney in recent years. He's old in part because he did two years of community college at different schools and then did three years at LMU, including his last as a Covid super-senior grad student, but he's still in his first year out of college. I don't mind if they take a flier on a college guy who might have gotten lost in the draft shuffle, but I agree that this was a case where it didn't work out. I get the sense that the Galaxy have a type of winger they are looking for and he fit the physical mold, even if he wasn't that good at the soccer part of it. It seems like the same scouting that likely led to Cabral/Grandsir.
Next and last review : the forwards. - Preston Judd (1999) : after an impressive first season with Los Dos (17 goals and 3 assists in 32 games), Judd kept scoring at a nice pace : 13 goals and 4 assists in 25 games. Very much like last year, Judd had a streaky season, scoring 10 goals in 8 games between May 29th and July 24th, but just 3 in 17 games otherwise. I made a long review of Judd last year (see here : https://www.bigsoccer.com/threads/official-2021-la-galaxy-ii-season.2112866/page-7#post-40069739), to sum up : very fast and physical goalscorer with good instinct inside the box, very hard to follow for the opposite defenders, but also capable of scoring after running with the ball all across the field. USL was sometimes too easy for him and he was the obvious team MVP for the second year in a row. Judd is ready for the first team (and has been for a few months), but absolutely needs to work on two things : his consistency, and, more importantly, his discipline. Judd likes to going hard at opposite players, taunting them, arguing with the referee... And it's often unnecessary. He will always be the villain of his team, and that's OK because we need some villains, but he's a player who can make you win a game with a pure striker goal but also make you lose a game with a stupid red card. In a certain way (do I really dare to say it), he reminds me of Steven Lenhart. If he can contain his aggressiveness and stay focus, he could be a good MLS player. - Michael Salazar (1992) : the MLS and USL veteran played as a striker but mainly as a right winger this year, and had an OK season (5 goals and 3 assists in 27 games). Salazar is strong, is an OK finisher and has decent skills. The problem ? He's not clever with the ball, he will often make one or two many touches or be too slow to see the pass who needed to be done. He has qualities and I think he'll always be a decent USL player (and if you give him 1500-2000 MLS minutes he might sneak in three to four goals and assists), but, very much like Liam Doyle, I don't see what he brings from a club perspective.
And as I do every year, I finish my review with the 2022 Los Dos Awards. Team MVP : 1) Preston Judd 2) Cameron Dunbar 3) Eric Lopez Judd is the obvious MVP and it's not even close, the gap between him and the rest was huge. Dunbar less than obvious but I don't see anyone close to him. For the third position I'm open to discussion, Lopez saved the team many times, I think it's between him and Saldana who was more consistent but played less. Just a reminder : Jonny Pérez played only four games so I can't count him on the MVP race but he looked incredible and would have been a candidate for number 1 if he had played more. Defensive player of the year : 1) Eric Lopez 2) Adam Saldana 3) Liam Doyle The missing player here ? Obviously it's Jalen Neal, and I think it's fair to say Liam Doyle has been our best defender this year. Most improved player since last season : 1) Owen Lambe 2) Cameron Dunbar 3) Eric Lopez Dunbar was meh last year, he improved a lot but not as much as Lambe who came from a big liability to an adequate USL defender. Lopez third because he came back from years on the bench to win a starting position, and because I don't see a lot of improved players otherwise. Biggest disappointment : 1) Jalen Neal 2) Josh Drack 3) Marcus Ferkranus I can't say Neal and Drack had bad seasons, but they were supposed to be leaders of this team and to have a shot at making the first team, and they disappointed. Worst player : 1) Duhaney Williams 2) Rémi Cabral 3) Adrian Gonzalez Maybe I'm not fair to Cabral, but he played way too many minutes for what he brang to the team. Gonzalez was worse but didn't play at his best position. So what's your thoughts ? @Benny Dargle ? Season is over for me, I'll create a 2023 Galaxy II thread when we'll know more about next year.
I don't have too much to add to this excellent summary and player ratings. Just to add context on to the discipline problem for Judd, he had 12 yellows/1 red this year in 25 games (22 starts). Judd was in the top 5 of card earners in all of USL Championship this year. Moreover, he wasn't earning yellows stopping breakaways or being overly aggressive (or even for simulation). A lot of his were for dissent. On Lambe, it's interesting to note that he led the team with 7 assists this season. Not really ideal when your RB is leading the team in assists, but it does show that he had at least some success getting into the attack. As for biggest disappointment, I think it was the manager. It's hard to know how much a reserve team manager has freedom with respect to his lineups and player availability, but he should at least be helping players improve and he seemed to be a downgrade in that department compared to Junior Gonzalez.
Will the trade of his brother Kévin to the Colorado Rapids mean that Rémy is no longer on the roster as well?
I think all contracts for the Galaxy II are just for one year. According to Transfermarkt, Remi's deal expired Nov. 30, 2022. https://www.transfermarkt.us/remi-cabral/profil/spieler/460631
Attacking midfielder Victor Valdez has left LA Galaxy to sign with Club América. Joins former LA Galaxy academy teammate Walter Portales.Valdez, a Mexican-American, was a starter for the '04 US U15s and U17s but has not been with the USYNT in a couple years.— ChuckMe92 Soccer (@ChuckMe92Soccer) December 20, 2022 Played a few minutes in 2020 and looked decent, then his playing time dicreased. Just one minute this year for a youngster who plays the same spot as Rémi Cabral, what a waste.
Same story for lots of players in the Galaxy Academy. They get lost and then some other club comes along and picks them off.
We were wondering what happened to Endoh, who signed with the Galaxy II, played a little and was never heard from again. Apparently, he was just diagnosed with leukemia and has returned to Japan for chemo 1607614565348683778 is not a valid tweet id
REPORT: Former LA Galaxy II defender Josh Drack has told media he'll sign with Huntsville City FC. More from @ChrisIvey865 here. #EveryoneN https://t.co/qI6PovrLT3— Broadway Sports Media (@BroadwayTN) December 30, 2022 Josh Drack is signing with Nashville reserve team. Interesting note : Liam Doyle, former G2 defender who has just retired, is their new director of soccer operations.
Brandon Tellez (‘05) of the LA Galaxy Academy is signing with LA Galaxy II on what I believe will be an MLS Next Pro deal.— USMNTProspects (@ProspectsUsmnt) December 31, 2022 I expect that there will be more G2 signings like this of the best players from the current U19 team like Tellez.
From the Angel City to the 305. Meet our newest member @michaelworld_10 🧡💙 #vamosmiami pic.twitter.com/uB6lOVSDc8— Miami FC (@TheMiamiFC) January 3, 2023 Michael Salazar is gone.
Definitely makes sense that a USL vet is going to be interested in staying in USL rather than moving a tier down to MLS Next Pro (and he showed little to no promise of being helpful to the senior team, so no reason why we would want to keep him either)
Owen Lambe has signed for OCSC. He has appeared in 61 matches for LA Galaxy 2.— USL Insider (@Uslinsider) January 5, 2023 The USOC hero is likely gone.
The way this is trending, I'm guessing the G2s will be exclusively for post-Galaxy Academy players who have promise, draft picks and other former college or other club's Academy players they want to tryout, and young players already signed to the Galaxy MLS roster who need more playing time. And, frankly, I'm OK with that. There isn't much reason for the G2s to be a home for players whose ceilings are USL. If we need those kind of players to fill out gaps in the roster, we should bring up young players from the Academy's U17s. This team should basically be a U19+ roster.
Credit to the Galaxy for donating $5K to this cause, especially considering Endoh barely played with the G2s and it sounds like they helped with his medical care while he was here. We're with you, Tsubasa 💙🙏Help former @LAGalaxyII midfielder @tsubasa_endoh in his fight against acute leukemia by donating: https://t.co/GoD1BLvNPi pic.twitter.com/DzEeLmn3LG— LA Galaxy (@LAGalaxy) January 6, 2023