ACADEMY U-16’S QUALIFY FOR DEVELOPMENT ACADEMY PLAYOFFS: For the second time in three years, the LA Galaxy Academy U-16 qualified for the U.S. Soccer Development Academy Playoffs with a win over Real So Cal at Calabasas High School on Saturday. Justin Dhillon scored on either side of halftime and Drew Murphy scored his ninth goal of the year as the Galaxy beat Real So Cal 3-2, a result that moved the Galaxy into first place in the SoCal Division’s standings, one point ahead of Real Salt Lake Arizona.
On Sunday, the Galaxy closed out the regular season with a 3-2 loss to Cosmos Academy West. Willie Raygoza and Justin Dhillon, who has a team-best 15 goals on the season, scored early in the second half to erase a 2-0 deficit, only for the Cosmos to scored in stoppage time to claim the victory and snap LA’s three-game winning streak.
Despite the loss, the Galaxy claimed their first Division title in program history as RSL Arizona fell to the Irvine Strikers in their regular season finale. The Galaxy finished the season with an 11-5-2 record in their division and a 20-5-3 record in all competitions.
The Galaxy now head to Frisco, Texas for the Development Academy Playoffs, which begin on June 24 at Pizza Hut Park. The Galaxy are one of four SoCal Division teams to qualify for the 32-team playoffs, which culminate with the Academy Finals Week in Milwaukee, Wisc. from July 9 to July 16.
ACADEMY U-18’S END REGULAR SEASON WITH WIN AND A DRAW: The LA Galaxy Academy U-18 team concluded their regular season with a win and a draw on the road last weekend. On Saturday, Juan Mendoza and Angel Ayala scored to give the Galaxy a 2-0 win over Real So Cal. One day later, they played to a 1-1 draw with the Cosmos Academy West, giving them an 11-11-6 record to close the regular season.
They will head to Frisco, Texas for the Development Academy Showcase from June 24-28.
