CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy II’s season ended in defeat, but Galaxy brass were quick to label the season a success due to factors that go much deeper than winning and losing.
Galaxy II were eliminated from the USL Cup Playoffs last week after a disappointing 3-0 defeat to Swope Park Rangers that saw Los Dos knocked out at the earliest point in their three-year existence.
Although the defeat stung for a team that marched to the final a year earlier, there were plenty of positives to take from the 2016 campaign.
“We’re talking about 17 highly potential athletes immersed in a professional environment. From day one, it has been a success every single day,” Galaxy Vice President of Soccer Operations Pete Vagenas said. “It’ll ultimately be judged through the progression of players through our club and into our first team and you’re starting to see that sprinkle effect happen. In terms of a success, we have a lot of young players getting opportunities that they’re not getting anywhere else.”
Added Galaxy Technical Director Jovan Kirovski, “I think it went well. We saw more kids come through the academy. We signed [Ethan] Zubak and [Hugo] Arellano which is what it is all about. The kids are getting a chance and opportunity and the team performed well. They made the playoffs, and although they lost in the first round, that’s not the objective. We’re the Galaxy and we want to win due to our winning culture, but we’re moving forward. We’re signing players and trying to bring them into the first team.”
As with each past year, Galaxy II’s roster continued to get progressively younger with new contributors emerging like recently appointed team captain Jaime Villarreal and defender Josh Turnley among others. Galaxy Homegrown Player Jack McBean led the team in goals with 15 in just 17 appearances before being loaned to English side Coventry City.
Despite a midseason slump after the departure of McBean, Galaxy II ended the season with a 12-7-11 record.
“I think it was another great year for our project. I think we came out of the gate really well,” Onalfo said. “We were getting results and midway through the season, we lost Jack McBean who was an integral part of our team,” Onalfo said. “It took us a little time to adjust, but what it did was allow us to give chances to younger players. It meant more time for Lassiter, Amaya, and Zubak. They all stepped up and they all got better.
Looking ahead to the 2017 campaign, Galaxy II head coach Curt Onalfo expects his group to continue to grow and develop, while also serving as a valuable development tool for the younger players in the Galaxy Academy system.
“When you add it all up, [we] have a bunch of guys that are positioning themselves to continue to move up the ladder and develop. If you look at the league and the other MLS affiliates, not that many of them position themselves to develop players and make the playoffs. You want to do it all by having the youngest players and win every time. There are certainly bumps in the road, but it’s about how you deal with them and move forward. I think our project is going well and our players are getting better.”
However as the team continues to develop, Onalfo believes that more and more Galaxy II products will find their way into the first team.
“You’re always positioning yourself to help supplement the first team roster. There are more players who have made a case for themselves to be considered,” said Onalfo. “Whether or not they end up there is another thing, but we’ve already had five players make the jump. We’re not going to stick at the number five. There are players really pushing the bar for sure.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog atLAGalaxy.com/Insiderand contact him atLAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
