LA Galaxy II are quickly back in action after a tough weekend loss, taking on Saint Louis FC at 7:30 p.m. PT on Wednesday, May 9 at StubHub Center Track & Field Stadium. The match will be broadcast live on ESPN+.
Tickets: LA Galaxy II vs. Saint Louis FC
With five days rest from their last contest, Los Dos take the field soon after suffering what might have felt like their toughest loss of the season. Without a win yet in 2018, LA Galaxy II found themselves up 3-1 in an away fixture against strong Western Conference side Phoenix Rising FC. With three goals in the first half, Los Dos had scored more goals in 45 minutes (3) than they had scored in their first seven games to open the 2018 season (2).
But less than two minutes after halftime, Phoenix got right back into the game with a goal in the 47th minute. The home side continued with the pressure and ultimately broke down the Galaxy defense with a goal scored on a corner kick in the 71st, followed shortly by a successful penalty kick from Didier Drogba in the 77th.
“Going up 3-1 at half, you knew that Phoenix was going to bring everything. You knew that it was going to be a really difficult second half,” said LA Galaxy II Head Coach Mike Muñoz. “We conceded at the worst possible time, right after halftime. We warned the guys, we prepped the guys, we knew it was coming. Once again, we just didn’t execute.”
The breakdown was more mental than tactical.
“We have to be almost perfect in order for our team to get results based off our lack of maturity, so little things,” Muñoz said. I think this was the first game where we actually gave up a set piece goal, which has been uncharacteristic of us. So, we have to stamp those out. We’ve been focusing so much on scoring goals, so now I think we’ve obviously done a good job in that department, now we have to make sure we have a complete package.”
On Wednesday, Los Dos will face a team they’ve already seen once this season. On April 14, Saint Louis FC defeated LA Galaxy II 1-0 in St. Louis. Along with LA Galaxy II, Saint Louis is one of the lower scoring teams in the USL Western Conference with only seven goals on the season. That indicative of their style, according to Muñoz.
“They don’t score a lot of goals, but they also don’t give up a lot of goals,” Muñoz said. “They’re very direct, they press. They’re a team that wants to make life difficult for you and force mistakes.
Saint Louis brings a six-game undefeated streak into Wednesday’s matchup, along with a defense that’s firing on all cylinders. Their defense has earned shutouts in half of their 2018 outings, including a shutout against Los Dos earlier this season.
LAST MATCH
LA Galaxy II 3 | Phoenix Rising FC 4: After leading 3-1 at halftime, Los Dos fell victim to a comeback win from Phoenix Rising FC, conceding three second half goals and allowing a game-winning goal from Didier Drogba for the second time this season.
Saint Louis FC 0 | Portland Timbers 0: Saint Louis FC earned their fourth shutout of the season while lengthening an unbeaten streak to six.
THIS YEAR
LA Galaxy II 1 | Saint Louis FC 0 – April 14, 2018 | Toyota Stadium (Fenton, Mo.)
2017 RECORD
LA Galaxy II: 8-19-5, 29 points
Saint Louis FC: 9-14-9, 36 points
GAME NOTES
- LA Galaxy II are 0-1-2 at home this season. Saint Louis FC are 1-1-2 away.
- LA Galaxy’s Efrain Alvarez scored his first professional goal in the team’s last outing.
- LA Galaxy Academy’s Ulysses Llanez has scored in back-to-back games for the Galaxy.
- Los Dos signed seven new players this offseason: Geoffrey Acheampong, Nate Shultz, Emmanuel Appiah, John Requejo, Frank Lopez, Wade Hamilton and Julian Büscher.
- LA Galaxy II finished the 2017 season with a 4-8-4 home record and a 4-11-1 away record.
- Justin Dhillon and Adrian Vera co-led the team in goals in 2017 (6).
- Ethan Zubak led LA Galaxy II in assists in 2017 (3).
- Next, LA Galaxy II travel to take on Portland Timbers 2 at 11:00 a.m. PT on Friday, May 18 at Providence Park.
