CARSON, Calif. – LA Galaxy II extended their unbeaten run to four games with a 2-1 victory over the Charlotte Eagles on Monday night at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium.
Charlie Rugg and Chandler Hoffman scored for Los Dos and Jorge Herrera scored the lone goal of the evening for the visitors. With the victory, Galaxy II moved back into a tie for first place in USL PRO with defending champions Orlando City SC.
Los Dos controlled the early stages of the match and were unlucky not to get on the board in the opening minutes when Raul Mendiola launched a shot from close range that forced Charlotte goalkeeper Brock Duckworth to make a quick reaction save. The Galaxy were not to be denied, however as they opened the scoring midway through the first half.
With Galaxy II pressing forward in the 28th minute, Mendiola took a shot from inside the penalty area that deflected off Chandler Hoffman and fell perfectly to Rugg, who smashed his effort past the Eagles’ goalkeeper. The goal was Rugg’s third of Galaxy II’s inaugural USL PRO campaign.
The lead would not hold however as the Charlotte Eagles equalized in the 35TH minute when Daniel Steres brought down Giuseppe Gentile in the penalty area. Herrera’s stepped up and slotted the spot kick past Laurendi for the equalizing goal.
Active from the outset of the second half, the Galaxy doubled their lead in the 55th minute when Hoffman was able to capitalize on a Charlotte turnover and beat Duckworth for the game winning goal. The goal was Hoffman’s fourth of the season, placing him in a tie at the top of the USL PRO goal scoring charts.
Galaxy II return to action on Saturday when they travel to Ohio to take on the Dayton Dutch Lions in the first of a brief two game road trip. They will return home on May 14th when they host Cal FC in the U.S. Open Cup at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium.
