CARSON, Calif. – The red-hot LA Galaxy II are confident that they can win their first-ever USL Championship on Friday against the Rochester Rhinos.
Forward Ariel Lassiter and midfielder Andre Auras scored in the first half as Los Dos earned a 2-1 victory over OKC Energy FC in the Western Conference Final match at Taft Stadium in Oklahoma City on Sunday. After Lassiter and Auras had supplied the early goals, it was up to the Galaxy II backline to preserve the win as key stops by defender Joe Franco and goalkeeper Clement Diop clinched a spot in the final.
Los Dos’ qualification for the USL Championship is the culmination of a stellar two seasons for the Galaxy’s USL affiliate who have reached the league’s semifinal each year.
“Sunday was an excellent team effort. We put a lot of time in this week into tactics and working on set pieces, and it paid off,” Galaxy II head coach Curt Onalfo told LAGalaxy.com. “I was very pleased with our collective concentration and attention to detail tonight. Our team character and identity shined bright.”
Throughout his two-year tenure as head coach of LA Galaxy II, Onalfo has preached a commitment to youth development, and his Western Conference championship squad showcased that ethos. Whether its players like Adonis Amaya, Raul Mendiola or Jaime Villarreal, Onalfo has given significant minutes to Galaxy Academy alums or young internationals like Bryan Olivera.
In Oklahoma, Onalfo’s once again fielded a youthful squad as six starters were aged 21 or younger.
“The younger players on our team have continued to mature,” Onalfo said. “They have taken the experiences from earlier this year and continue to apply them in critical moments.”
Galaxy II will face their toughest test on Friday when they travel to face the Rochester Rhinos in the USL Championship.
The USL regular season champions, Rochester went 17-1-10 this season with an unbeaten 12-0-2 record at Sahlen's Stadium. Rochester will be without their co-leading goal scorer Steevan Dos Santos, who was issued a red card in the latter stages of the Rhinos’ 1-0 victory over Louisville City FC.
Although Los Dos will be the underdog on Friday, Onalfo is hoping that his squad can win their first-ever USL title.
“We have put a lot of hard work into this season,” said Onalfo. “One of our goals was to put ourselves in position to win a championship.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at www.LAGalaxy.com/insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
