LA Galaxy Postgame Quote Sheet
LA Galaxy 3, Orange County SC 1
Wednesday, June 14, 2017
2017 U.S. Open Cup – Fourth Round
StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium – Los Angeles, Calif.
LA GALAXY HEAD COACH CURT ONALFO
On the match:
“These are important games for our club, but you have to utilize your roster. If you look at our next two and a half weeks, now that we’ve won this game it’s seven games in two and a half weeks, so it’s basically Wednesday Saturday, Wednesday, Saturday for a long period of time. So you have to utilize your roster, guys need to step up. And, credit to the players. We got goals out of young attacking players which is something that was a really big goal of mine going into the game. Obviously Jack [McBean] getting a goal, Jose [Villarreal] getting a goal, and [Ariel] Lassiter… that’s big for their confidence, it’s good for our group.”
On Jose Villarreal’s performance:
“He did very well. This field’s a little bit of a shooting field. It’s a thick grass field, and the balls pops up, so we talked to him about that before the game. When you have a window just hit it, and sure enough he did. It was a world class goal. “
On Orange County’s goal:
“It was a pick. They ran a play where they ran a guy around, and he got picked. We don’t want to concede on those, so that was disappointing.”
On opportunities for the academy players in the first team
“Absolutely. That’s why it was vital for them to do well tonight, because it gives them confidence. It gives the coaching staff confidence to know they can be options down this difficult stretch.”
On Jon Kempin’s performance:
“Solid job. He did a solid job again. Very good, very good.”
On next round:
“Hopefully it’s home.”
On Jose Villarreal in practice:
“When we play small sided games, he’s one of the best players in training. When you have a roster and when you’re a part of the LA Galaxy, and you have a lot of money that’s invested in attacking players it’s hard for the younger American guys to get consistent opportunities, so then it’s sparingly. Honestly as coaches, and probably fans and everybody else, we expect maybe a little bit too much. Because, think about it. When you have limited times, and when you have limited opportunities, you have to make it work in 20 minutes or 15 minutes. You have to catch a rhythm in a game, there are a lot of things that have to happen. But, credit to him, this was an important game for all those young players, not just his.”
On Ariel Lassiter’s goal:
“All those guys. It’s paramount to their development, for us to continue doing what we want to do as a club.”
LA GALAXY FORWARD JOSE VILLARREAL
On the field condition:
“We’ve played on this field for quite some time now, we’re kind of used to it and we’re used to that opponent. We’ve gotten into some good battles out there on the field and it was good to get a win and move on to the next round.”
On his goal:
“I saw good space in front of me and it popped up on me pretty nice and I got a good strike on it and I’m happy it went it. It might have been [my nicest goal] but I still like my first goal.”
On playing in front of Curt:
“He knows me pretty well, whatever he asks me to do I do it the best I can and try to help out the team. He’s been pushing me for quite some time now, and I’m glad he’s the coach now and he gives us some more opportunity. He’s brought up a lot of young players to the first team and you saw Nate [Smith] get his chance at the beginning of the year and Daniel Steres is a Galaxy II product, it’s finally happening more with the younger players and they’re getting more chances.”
On playing with his brother in a first team game:
“You should ask my parents, it’s bigger for them. I mean maybe when I’m in the locker room and I sit down I’ll think it’s a happy think, but on the field he’s just another teammate I can scream at.”
