LA Galaxy II vs. Swope Park Rangers
Children’s Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village
Friday, Sept. 30, 2016
2016 USL Regular Season
5:30 p.m. PT
www.lagalaxy.com/2
Postseason participators for a third straight season, the 2015 USL Western Conference Champions LA Galaxy II will kick off the USL Cup Playoff campaign in the Western Conference Quarterfinal against 2016 expansion club Swope Park Rangers at 5:30 p.m. PT on Friday, Sept. 30 at Children’s Mercy Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Mo. The match will be streamed live on www.lagalaxy.com/2.
The winner of the match will go on to face the winner of #1 Sacramento Republic FC and #8 Orange County Blues FC (7:30 p.m. PT on Saturday, Oct. 1) in the Western Conference Final.
All-time, Los Dos are 2-0-0 in the first round of USL postseason matches. Last season, they topped Sacramento Republic FC 1-0 at Bonney Field en route to their first USL Cup appearance.
Leading the way for LA will be forward Ariel Lassiter who, as he did in 2015, features as Los Dos’ leading goal scorer heading into the postseason. Lassiter has scored nine times in 2016 despite a back injury that kept him out for most of the summer. Returning from injury on July 30, he showed no struggle in regaining form. Lassiter has scored six goals in his last eight appearances.
Also playing with confidence are Los Dos’ backline. They’ve allowed just three goals in their last four matches, the fewest of any four-game stretch this season. Bolstering the defense has been the return of defender Bradley Diallo who was sidelined for the majority of the 2016 season with an ACL injury. Returning on August 31, Diallo has now made five appearances for LA to this point.
Lining up on the other side of the field will be one of USL’s hottest teams. Swope Park Rangers won six of their last seven matches to finish the season, tallying three shutouts along the way. Their four-game win streak to finish the season earned them well-deserved home field advantage.
Their 10-4-1 home record is one of the league’s best. SPR’s Mark Anthony Gonzalez leads his team in scoring with nine goals on the season, one of which served as the game-winner in Swope Park’s 2-1 win over Los Dos on Aug. 27, the two sides’ only meeting of the season.
LAST MATCH
LA Galaxy 3 | Real Monarchs SLC 1: LA Galaxy II bested Real Monarchs SLC 3-1 in their regular season home finale behind goals from Ariel Lassiter, Raul Mendiola and Adonis Amaya.
Tied 1-1 at half, Los Dos came on in the second half and put in what Head Coach Curt Onalfo called his team’s “best 30 minutes of the season.” Raul Mendiola found the game winner in the 66th minute. A free kick goal from Adonis Amaya followed just five minutes later.
Swope Park Rangers 2 | Seattle Sounders FC 2 0: Amer Didic opened the scoring with his first professional goal in the 11th minute, before Tyler Pasher added a second with 15 minutes remaining. The win was helped by a straight red car issued to Seattle’s Nouhou Tolo in the 41st minute. The win marked Swope’s fourth straight to finish the season.
2016 RECORD
LA Galaxy II: 12-7-11, 47 points
Swope Park Rangers: 14-10-6, 48 points
2015 RECORD
LA Galaxy II: 14-11-3
THIS YEAR
LA Galaxy II 1, Swope Park Rangers 2 (Children’s Mercy Victory Field) – Aug. 27, 2016
GAME NOTES
- The winner of #5 LA Galaxy IIvs. #4 Swope Park Rangers will advance to the Conference Semifinals and to face the winner of #1 Sacramento Republic FC vs. #8 Orange County Blues FC.
- LA Galaxy II finished the 2016 season with a 12-7-11 record. They finished 2015 with a 14-11-3 record. They finished 2014 with a 15-7-6 record.
- Los Dos, the 2015 USL Western Conference Champions, have now made it to the postseason in each of their three years as a USL club.
- LA Galaxy II clinched their playoff spot with a 1-0 home win against Rio Grande Valley FC on Sept. 14.
- LA Galaxy II clinched the #5 seed with a 3-1 win over Real Monarchs SLC on Sept. 24.
- Ariel Lassiter leads the team in goals scored (9). He’s scored six goals in his last eight appearances.
- Los Dos are 4-5-6 on the road this season. Swope Park Rangers are 10-4-1 at home.
- Los Dos lead the Western Conference in goals scored (52). They are the only Western Conference team to have scored 50 goals on the season.
- Jose Villarreal leads the team with five assists on the season.
- 15 players have scored for LA Galaxy II in 2016, tied with Sacramento for most of any Western Conference team.
