LA Galaxy II announced today the full staff and roster ahead of the team’s opening match of the 2018 USL Regular Season. This weekend, Los Dos will kick off their fifth season in competition when they take on Colorado Springs Switchbacks FC at 5 p.m. PT on Saturday, March 17 at Weidner Field in Colorado Springs, Colo. (streamed live on LAGalaxy.com/2).
Returning for his second season in charge is LA Galaxy II Head Coach Mike Muñoz. He is supported by Assistant Coach Laurent Courtois and Goalkeeper Coach Claine Plummer, who also begin their second season.
When the team kicks off Saturday, 16 players will have contracts with LA Galaxy II. Six of those players are former members of the LA Galaxy Academy, all of which return from the 2017 season: Ethan Zubak, Justin Dhillon, Adonis Amaya, Adrian Vera, Jonathan Hernandez and Eric Lopez. Dhillon and Vera co-led the team in goals last season (6), with Zubak leading the team in assists (3).
Also returning from last season’s campaign are Miguel Aguilar, Andre Zanga and Jean Engola. Aguilar, who signed with the Galaxy ahead of the 2017 season, was sidelined last year with an MCL injury suffered in the first game of the season. Zanga and Engola each made over 20 appearances for the club in 2017.
Seven new additions have been signed to LA Galaxy II ahead of 2018 kickoff: midfielder Geoffrey Acheampong, defender John Requejo, midfielder Julian Büscher, defender Nate Shultz, forward Frank Lopez, goalkeeper Wade Hamilton and midfielder Emmanuel Appiah.
Three of those signings come to Galaxy II from Liga MX and MLS sides: Acheampong (Veracruz), Requejo (Club Tijuana) and Büscher (D.C. United). Hamilton (Portland Timbers 2) and Emmanuel Appiah (Saint Louis FC) join from USL sides. Nate Shultz, LA Galaxy’s 2018 MLS SuperDraft selection, and Frank Lopez, a Cuban Youth National Team standout, have signed contracts to being their professional soccer careers with Los Dos.
2018 LA Galaxy II Home Opener tickets
Los Dos will host their 2018 Home Opener on Saturday, March 31 against San Antonio FC at StubHub Center (3:30 p.m. PT). Tickets to that match are available for purchase here.
The full, current 2018 LA Galaxy II roster and roster breakdown is below.
2018 LA GALAXY II ROSTER
FORWARDS (4):Ethan Zubak, Justin Dhillon, Frank Lopez, Adonis Amaya
MIDFIELDERS (7):Julian Büscher, Geoffrey Acheampong, Emmanuel Appiah, Miguel Aguilar, Adrian Vera, Jonathan Hernandez, Andre Zanga
DEFENDERS (3):Nate Shultz, John Requejo, Jean Engola
GOALKEEPERS (2):Wade Hamilton, Eric Lopez
ROSTER BREAKDOWN
NEW SIGNINGS (7): Geoffrey Acheampong, John Requejo, Julian Büscher, Nate Shultz, Frank Lopez, Wade Hamilton and Emmanuel Appiah.
RETURNING (9): Ethan Zubak, Justin Dhillon, Adonis Amaya, Adrian Vera, Miguel Aguilar, Jonathan Hernandez, Andre Zanga, Jean Engola, Eric Lopez
LA GALAXY ACADEMY PRODUCTS (6): Ethan Zubak, Justin Dhillon, Adonis Amaya, Adrian Vera, Jonathan Hernandez, Eric Lopez
BIRTHPLACE
UNITED STATES (9): Eric Lopez, Tyler Turner, Adrian Vera, Ethan Zubak, Adonis Amaya, Justin Dhillon, Jonathan Hernandez, John Requejo, Nate Shultz
GHANA (2): Geoffrey Acheampong, Emmanuel Appiah
CAMEROON (2): Jean Engola, Andre Zanga
MEXICO (1): Miguel Aguilar
CUBA (1): Frank Lopez
GERMANY (1): Julian Büscher
