CARSON, Calif. (Thursday, Sept. 11, 2014) – LA Galaxy II will face the Rochester Rhinos at StubHub Center in a USL PRO Playoffs quarterfinal match Saturday, Sept. 13 at 7:30 p.m. PT. The match will be Galaxy II’s first-ever USL PRO Playoff appearance and will also feature free entry and parking for all fans in attendance.
“It’s free admission, free parking. And it’s a chance for the community to watch the future of the LA Galaxy,” said head coach Curt Onalfo. “It’s the first-ever [USL PRO] playoff game in [StubHub Center]. It could be a great night for a family, a great night for young players to watch 17-23 year olds that aspire to play for the Galaxy.”
Rochester enters the match having allowed the second-least goals in USL PRO this season (25), with only first-place Orlando City SC (24) allowing fewer. Rhinos goalkeeper John McCarthy holds a USL PRO-best 10 shutouts and a .72 goals against average.
Galaxy II will look to break down the Rochester defense after having scored the second-most goals of any club in USL PRO this year with 54. LosDos’ offensive effort was led by forward Chandler Hoffman with 13 goals, the third-most of any player in USL PRO this year.
“They’re a really defensive-minded team,” said Hoffman. “I know when they came here earlier in the year, they sat back and put 11 players behind the ball, so the key is going to be breaking down the low pressure and find a way to get an early goal.”
Rochester is just one of two teams to earn a victory at StubHub Center this year, defeating Galaxy II by a 2-1 score line on June 11. Rochester took a 2-0 lead behind goals from Jonny Mendoza and Alex Dixon in the first half before Rafael Garcia put Los Dos within one in the 75th minute, but the Rhinos held on to the 2-1 lead to earn the victory.
"We know they came in here earlier in the year and they beat us,” said forward Jack McBean. “I think they will be a little more defensive-minded, pack it in a little bit and play the counter, but we just need to play our game and we’ll be alright.”
Should Galaxy II win against Rochester, they will advance to the USL PRO Playoffs semifinal match and face the winner of the matchup between Sacramento Republic FC and Wilmington Hammerheads FC on Saturday at 7:30 p.m. PT.
“In terms of the game, we’ve prepared all year for this and we finished the year in third place,” said Onalfo. “I think it was a really successful season where we have lots of changes every week and getting a team functioning, playing as a unit and doing things properly is not always easy, but I think it’s something we’ve done well. And now it’s a matter of taking advantage of that in a home playoff game and doing whatever we can getting three points.”
The 2014 USL PRO Playoffs include the top eight finishers in the table, with the quarterfinals (No. 1 vs. No. 8, No. 2 vs. No. 7, etc.) set for the weekend of September 12-14. The semifinals, featuring the four remaining teams, will be played the following weekend with the 2014 USL PRO Championship set for the weekend of September 26-28. All playoff rounds feature a single-game knockout format and teams will not be re-seeded following each round.
Follow all Los Dos action through the LA Galaxy II Twitter account.
