CARSON, Calif. – The players and coaching staff of LA Galaxy II admit that they know very little of Wednesday night’s U.S. Open Cup second round opponent Cal FC.
And while that may complicate his preparations, Los Dos head coach Curt Onalfo asserts that he’ll have his side ready for the tactical and emotional challenge that the amateur side are sure to pose.
“I expect them to have the game of their lives. I expect them to make it incredibly difficult for us because the guys playing on that team all want to be on Galaxy II,” Onalfo told LAGalaxy.com. “We know that it will be a hard fought game and we have to match their intensity and competitiveness, and hopefully prevail with our soccer.
“We’re going to let them prepare for us. We’re going to take care of what we’re doing rather than focus what they bring because frankly, we don’t know,” Onalfo added. “But that doesn’t matter because any time that you play in a game like this, we know that if we’re not ready to play and compete, we have no chance. We have to control our approach and mentality and get the most out of the game.”
Cal FC, a U.S. Adult Soccer Association club based in Thousand Oaks, California, qualified for the tournament by defeating Manhattan Beach’s Doxa Italia 3-2 back in December. They’ll face a Galaxy II side that is currently in second place in the USL PRO with a 5-2-3 record to date.
Galaxy II boast one Cal FC alum in left back Eder Arreola who was on the club in 2012 when they made a Cinderella run through the tournament. Led by former U.S. international Eric Wynalda, Cal FC marched through the Open Cup defeating USL PRO side Wilmington Hammerheads and then MLS club Portland Timbers FC before bowing out to eventual USOC runners-up Seattle Sounders FC in the fourth round.
The dramatic march through the tournament made headlines across the American soccer world, as Arreola’s former club became just the second amateur club to defeat an MLS side in the tournament’s history.
The team that will take the field against Galaxy II on Wednesday will bear little resemblance to the team that made that magical run as Wynalda has been replaced as head coach by television analyst Nick Webster while just two players (midfielder Michael Rocha and defender Makai Werring) remain from Arreola’s time with the club. Knowing firsthand about the dangers that an unknown team can pose, the Galaxy II defender believes that Los Dos must make a statement when they face their amateur counterparts.
“After being part of that run in 2012, I feel like we have to set a high standard with LA Galaxy II, we’re going to try and win it. We shouldn’t believe that we can’t beat whomever we play,” Arreola said. “Cal FC is going to have players that want to be in our shoes so we have to make a statement to them right from the beginning.”
And if Galaxy II can make a statement and get past the testy upstarts, Los Dos captain Rafael Garcia believes that the opportunity is there for the USL PRO team to make a Cinderella run of their own.
“This tournament is definitely a priority for us. We know that if we advance then there is an opportunity to make a good run at this. We’re of the mindset that we want to win,” said Garcia. “We’ll be ready for whatever Cal FC throw at us, we’ll adapt and do what we need to do to advance.”
Adam Serrano is the LA Galaxy Insider. Read his blog at LAGalaxy.com/Insider and contact him at LAGalaxyInsider@Gmail.com
