MLS NEXT Pro: Earthquakes II - Los Angeles FC 2 (Sunday, 9/24) pre/in/postgame thread [R]

This is the last game of the season on decision day and it’s for all the marbles. Basically, win in regulation (or PKs in a tie) and the Quakes ii are in the playoffs. They have a two point lead over Houston but if the teams finish level on points then Houston would have the tie breaker.

LAFC is tied for last in the West and have only won 2 away games all year. On the other hand, Q2 have only won 2 home games all season. Very weird.

Interestingly enough, few teams might want to play the Junior Quakes in the playoffs because only the conference champions have more away wins than San Jose. If they get in they could be dangerous.

 

LAFC II tied for last in the West, and yet they beat Monterey Bay FC in US Open Cup, a team that the Quakes (nearly) A team couldn't beat. :-(

 

It will be interesting to see how strong of a team LAFC bring to San Jose. Also, do the Quakes play with a strong line up or throw the kids in? How seriously do they want to play for hardware?

 

My guess is that it'll be similar to the one that crushed VC. Cruz, Mendoza, and Verhoeven all started but then also some of the 1st team guys like Richmond, Bouda, Tingey, Cilley, and Ochoa. And then a couple of Quakes II vets, Blancas and Ayon. Not sure how you make that lineup a lot better unless you bring in more guys from the 1st team who don't usually play many QII minutes, but that's liable to make them worse due to unfamiliarity.

BTW what's happened to Casey Walls. He seems to be there for a while and then vanishes.

 

I heard he was in concussion protocol after a practice injury. Not sure when he will be cleared to return.

I hope the Quakes make an honest effort to qualify for the playoffs. I bet all the Next Pro contracts have playoff bonuses. The base pay is peanuts compared to MLS deals. These guys work hard all season and I believe they fill in at first team practices when asked so I would like to see them compensated through their performance bonuses.

 

Agreed. Sometimes I wonder if motivation isn't a factor, as in a problem. Not many people attend the games, the team doesn't seem to prioritize winning that much, the lineup tends to change a lot game to game, guys don't seem to be rewarded with good performances as in looks with the first team, etc. So making the playoffs would be a good incentive. I think I'll try to attend the game.

 

Decision Day was made for the Quakes. Gotta leave it to the last second

 

Blancas is the class of this team. I’d take him over Bouda right now. His soccer IQ and movement is ahead of everyone

 

Agren loose with his passes in the middle. Neither Verhoeven or Munie are going to get forward much. Might have been better to switch them because then Vehoeven could cross in from the right wing.

 

Blancas playing the Riqui role of forward that floats all over the field. Picks up a yellow card in the defensive midfield space

 

Pretty disappointing first half. As usual, weird schizophrenic home lineup with Agren playing with the team for the first time in a long while(?), Walls playing his 1st game im a long while, Munie at RB, where he doesn’t look super comfortable, proven non-goal scorer David Serrano at forward, etc.

Where are Cilley and Tingey?

 

Halftime scores

SJ 0-0 LAFC
LAG 0-1 HOU
COL 0-0 MIN

QII need either one point more than Minnesota on the day or at worst one point fewer than Houston. If these scores hold they will need to win the shootout.

 

Blancas 🤝 Bouda@EarthquakesII finds the breakthrough! pic.twitter.com/mebWzFuvUJ

— MLS NEXT Pro (@MLSNEXTPRO) September 24, 2023

 

1-0 win, Quakes II are in the playoffs!

 

Tingey off the bench. Why?

 

As in why not starting? I think Verhoeven had a sub-par game, for him, and Munie at RB was just a bit odd, but he settled into it. He won pretty much all his challenges and any ball in the air. But he wasn't going to provide much on offense.

As you say Blancas is the class of the team, but Bouda made some plays as well and is alway dangerous. Jerry Ayon is kind of the unsung hero to me - he scraps for everything in the midfield and rarely loses the ball. Serrano has good feet but other than that mostly wasted space.

Cruz didn't impact the game that much and tends to lose challenges, but had a couple of shots. I always get a kick out of watching Chow - kind of awkward looking in the way he runs and everything but he's quick and he just goes 100mph all the time. Almost scored on an open net from 40 yards or so out, but the ball kind of died in the grass. I wasn't a fan of the Hategan for Ayon sub. I like Hategan but he's not a "kill off the game" guy, he's more of an attacker, and he was killing off some opportunities to kill off the game by trying too hopeful stuff.

I saw CL (I think) with his kids leaving the game and he had a hop in his step about Quakes II making the playoffs. Wondo and Lenny on the field after the game. Wondo's getting even thinner, and Lenny seems to be going a little bit in the other direction.