CARSON, Calif. (Friday, March 21, 2014) – The LA Galaxy announced Friday that the club has loaned Rafael Garcia, Bradford Jamieson IV, Jack McBean, Raul Mendiola, Charlie Rugg and Oscar Sorto to LA Galaxy II. LA Galaxy II kick off their inaugural season against the OC Blues at the StubHub Center Track and Field Stadium on Saturday, March 22 at 7:30 p.m. PT. The match will be shown live on lagalaxy.com.
In addition, Bruce Arena has loaned Galaxy players Kyle Venter, Kofi Opare and Kenney Walker to Galaxy II for the USL PRO side’s home opener.
A number of first team players will help make up the roster for Curt Onalfo’s club that will include both Galaxy first team players as well as players independently signed specifically to LA Galaxy II. The first of its kind program in MLS which offers playing time and development opportunities for players within the LA Galaxy player development structure will open up their inaugural 28-game campaign tomorrow night against the OC Blues.
McBean, 19, has spent the last three seasons with the Galaxy since being signed as the second Homegrown Player signing in club history in January of 2011. After making just two appearances in his first two seasons with the club, the forward made career-highs in appearances, starts and assists in 2013 with 15 games played, seven starts, one goal and two assists. McBean became the youngest player in club history to start a game and score a goal in the 2011 season finale when he scored against the Houston Dynamo at 16 years and 312 days old. During his three seasons with the Galaxy, the Newport Beach, Calif. native has excelled in CONCACAF Champions League play with five goals in eight appearances. A frequent contributor to Onalfo’s back-to-back MLS Reserve League West Division winners, McBean has tallied six goals in 14 appearances with the reserves.
Garcia, 25, has made 10 regular season appearances with a single start in two seasons with the Galaxy since being drafted in the second round of the 2012 MLS Supplemental Draft with the 38th overall selection. In 2013; Garcia made a career-high 16 appearances in all official competitions for the Galaxy including his first career MLS start on June 19. The defensive midfielder was also a regular in Onalfo’s Reserve League sides that won consecutive West Division titles. During his two seasons with the club, Garcia has been a frequent contributor to the club’s CONCACAF Champions League campaigns making a total of six appearances. Prior to being drafted by the Galaxy, the former member of the club’s U-20 side spent four seasons at Cal-State Northridge winning All Big-West honors in his senior season in 2011.
Jamieson IV, a former U.S. U-17 international, was the sixth Homegrown Player to be signed from the LA Galaxy Academy. A native of Los Angeles, California and senior at Santa Monica High school, Jamieson IV has tallied three goals in 11 appearances for the LA Galaxy Academy U-18 side in the 2013-2014 U.S. Soccer Developmental Academy season. The forward also made three appearances for the LA Galaxy during the 2013 MLS Reserve League season as LA retained their West Division crown for a second straight year. Prior to joining the Galaxy Academy, Jamieson IV completed four semesters with the U.S. U-17 Residency program, making 25 appearances for the youth national team and a two-time NSCAA All-American selection. Jamieson IV was accepted into the Residency program in 2011, following a successful stint with the U.S. U-15 Boys National Team and an illustrious youth career with Santa Monica United FC and LAFC.
Mendiola, 19, signed a Homegrown Player contract with the Galaxy in February 2014 after spending the past three seasons with the Galaxy Academy. Mendiola, who featured in nine MLS Reserve League games in 2013 including two starts as the Galaxy repeated as the Reserve League West Division champions with a 5-1-4 record, was the back-to-back U-16 Development Academy Player of the Year in the 2009-2010 and 2010-2011 seasons. The 19-year-old forward was named to the Development Academy Starting XI for the third time in 2013, and is the seventh player overall signed from the LA Galaxy Academy. Mendiola, a native of Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, scored 13 goals in 26 games en route to the team’s second consecutive division title and a 20-7-4 record, earning USSDA Western Conference Under-17/18 Starting XI honors in the process during the 2012-2013 USSDA campaign.
A product of Roslindale, Mass., Rugg was drafted 19th overall by the Galaxy in the 2013 MLS SuperDraft from Boston College. In his first season as a professional, Rugg, 23, made six appearances in all official competitions for the Galaxy with four games in MLS, one in U.S. Open Cup, and one in CONCACAF Champions League. Rugg started in two of his six MLS appearances for the Galaxy and once in Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup play. Rugg’s rookie season saw him score his first professional goal which helped the Galaxy earn a surprising 2-0 victory away to Real Salt Lake on April 28. Prior to being drafted by the Galaxy, the 23-year-old scored 28 goals and added 18 assists in 76 games and helped his team qualify for the NCAA Tournament during all four years of his college career. He ranks fifth in Boston College history with 28 goals and he was the first player in school history to earn a spot on the All-ACC First Team in three consecutive seasons as well as a three-time All-ACC First Team selection while with the Eagles.
Signed in January 2013, Sorto became the first defender signed from the Galaxy Academy after a successful academy career that included helping LA Under-18’s win the 2011-12 SoCal Division title. The 19-year-old Sorto made a pair of appearances for the Galaxy first team in his rookie season, both starts which came during the group stage of the CONCACAF Champions League. Sorto was an integral member of Onalfo’s Galaxy reserves side in 2013, making eight starts as the team won the Western Division for a second consecutive season. During his rookie year, Sorto was also a member of Tab Ramos’ United States U-20 side at the 2013 FIFA U-20 World Cup in Turkey. The Los Angeles native made a pair of appearances during the campaign.
Season tickets for the 2014 MLS season are on sale now, starting at just $250. Becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member gives fans the opportunity to see every Galaxy home game as well as number of additional benefits such as access to Town Hall meetings with Galaxy leaders, discounts on additional single game tickets, entrance into the club’s new Season Ticket Member loyalty program and much more as well as discounts at all TEAM LA locations and on select camps at the Galaxy Soccer Center in Torrance. For more information about becoming a Galaxy Season Ticket Member, please call 877-3GALAXY (342-5299) or visit www.lagalaxy.com/tickets
