CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano provides his Three Things We Learned from the LA Galaxy’s 3-1 victory over Orange County SC on Wednesday in the fourth round of the U.S. Open Cup.
JOSE VILLARREAL SHINES IN OPEN CUP APPEARANCE
Jose Villarreal loves playing in the U.S. Open Cup.
Villarreal scored his third career goal in the competition to open the scoring in the Galaxy’s victory over Orange County. The 23-year-old’s left-footed shot from nearly 30-yards was a prototypical blast by the Inglewood native who has made a name for himself by scoring world-class goals. It wasn’t just the goal that made Villarreal’s performance special, however, as the forward led the Galaxy with 87.8 percent passing accuracy while creating three chances for Onalfo’s team.
Despite not playing for the first team since March 18, Villarreal remains an intriguing prospect for head coach Curt Onalfo. With Giovani dos Santos away on international duty, the attacker could be the recipient of additional playing time during the summer months.
RAFAEL GARCIA HELPS LOCK DOWN THE MIDFIELD IN VICTORY
Rafael Garcia has been one of the breakout stars for the LA Galaxy in 2017, and the defensive midfielder kept up his streak of solid play on Wednesday.
The fundamentally sound central midfielder shined against the USL side, routinely pinging balls forward into dangerous areas and holding Orange County at bay in the center of the park with three tackles in the match. Garcia also helped the Galaxy keep a one-goal lead with a clearance off the line in the 66th minute. Just minutes later Los Angeles extended their lead to seal the victory.
With Baggio Husidic and Jermaine Jones still out with injuries, Garcia will have plenty more chances to continue his progression as the team’s go-to defensive midfielder.
ARI LASSITER OPENS HIS LA GALAXY ACCOUNT
Ariel Lassiter finally notched his first goal for the LA Galaxy first team in Wednesday’s U.S. Open Cup win.
Earning his first appearance for the senior team since March, Lassiter put pressure on Orange County’s defensive which struggled to contain the Galaxy offense. Lassiter’s goal came in the 73rd minute when he tapped in a deflection from close range.
The young striker has admitted to being frustrated with his performances over recent months, but Wednesday’s goal could be the catalyst he needs to get back into Curt Onalfo’s plans.
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at www.LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com.
