LA Galaxy II (7-7-8, 29 points) fell to Phoenix Rising FC (13-2-5, 44 points) in a 2-3 comeback loss on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park Track & Field Stadium. After leading the match 2-0, LA Galaxy II conceded three consecutive second-half goals, with two of those coming in the final 20 minutes of the game.
Los Dos were the ones to control the match from the start. It took a few tries, but Jorge Hernandez eventually found Ethan Zubak for the team’s opening goal. The two nearly connected in the 9th minute, when a one-touch through ball from Jorge Hernandez put Zubak in on goal. Zubak attempted to chip Phoenix Rising FC goalkeeper Zac Lubin, but the attempt sailed just over the bar.
They eventually made things right in the 39th minute, when Hernandez had space to put in a cross for Zubak. Carlos Harvey made a recovery in the midfield before putting the ball out wide to Hernandez. Hernandez’s ball in the box found Zubak, who brought the ball down on the far side of the box and found near side of the net with a left-footed strike.
Los Dos entered the half up 1-0. Efrain Alvarez led the Galaxy II charge early in the second half, drawing a penalty for his side just seven minutes after the break. Alvarez would take the earned penalty, and went low and right for his first LA Galaxy II goal of the season.
After that, things fell apart for Los Dos. In the 58th, an attempt for a quick restart was sniffed out by Rising FC’s Solomon Asante, who intercepted a pass, made a move past Eric Lopez and scored. 15 minutes later, an inability to make a clearance in their own end led to a backheel assist from Jon Bakero and a goal for Junior Flemmings.
The comeback for Phoenix was complete in the 83rd minute, when Joey Calistri took advantage of another poor effort to clear from Los Dos. Calistri buried a right-footed volley for the game-winning goal.
The loss snapped a two-game winning streak for LA Galaxy II as Phoenix extended their USL Championship record winning streak to 12 games.
Scoring Summary:
LA – Ethan Zubak 39’ (Assisted by Jorge Hernandez)
LA – Efrain Alvarez 52’ (penalty)
PHX – Solomon Asante 58’
PHX – Junior Flemmings 74’ (Assisted by Jon Bakero)
PHX – Joey Calistri 83’
Misconduct Summary:
LA – Adrian Vera 28’ (caution)
LA – Efrain Alvarez 33’ (caution)
PHX – A.J. Cochran 51’ (caution)
Lineups:
LA Galaxy II: Eric Lopez; Omar Ontiveros (John Requejo 80’), Tomas Hilliard-Arce, Nick DePuy, Justin Fiddes; Carlos Harvey, Adrian Vera (Geoffrey Acheampong 70’), Efrain Alvarez; Nate Shultz, Ethan Zubak (Augustine Williams 65’), Jorge Hernandez
Substitutions not used: Luke Pruter, Marcus Ferkranus, Jose Hernandez, Cameron Dunbar.
TOTAL SHOTS: 19; SHOTS ON GOAL: 7; FOULS: 14; OFFSIDE: 4; CORNER KICKS: 6; SAVES: 3.
Portland Timbers 2: Zac Lubin; Mustapha Dumbaya, Joey Farrell, A.J. Cochran, Amadou Dia; Alessandro Riggi, James Musa (Jon Bakero 62’), Jose Aguinaga (Joey Calistri 78’); Solomon Asante, Adam Jahn, Junior Flemmings (Kyle Bjornethun 90’+1’)
Substitution not used: Carl Woszczynski, Doueugui Mala, Laustin Ledbetter, Jordan Jones.
TOTAL SHOTS: 18; SHOTS ON GOAL: 7; FOULS: 11; OFFSIDE: 4; CORNER KICKS: 7; SAVES: 4.
Referee: Calin Radosav
Attendance: 1,004
NOTES:
- LA Galaxy II (7-7-8, 29 points) fell victim to Phoenix Rising FC (13-2-5, 44 points) in a 2-3 comeback loss on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park Track & Field Stadium.
- Ethan Zubak scored his fifth goal of the season to open the match. Jorge Hernandez recorded the assist, his second of the year.
- Efrain Alvarez drew and converted a penalty kick for his Los Dos goal of the season.
- Zubak leads the team in goals (6).
- LA Galaxy II are now 3-4-5 at home in 2019.
- Brian Iloski leads the team in assists this year (4).
- LA Galaxy II finished the 2018 USL Championship season with a 7-6-4 home record and a 3-11-3 away record.
- Next up, LA Galaxy II travel to face Austin Bold FC on Saturday, Aug. 10 at Bold Stadium.
- For more information, visit www.lagalaxy.com/2.
