The LA Galaxy II are the flagship club for MLS-operated teams in the United Soccer League, and in just their second season, they will carry that MLS flag into the USL championship game on Friday.
Galaxy II won their third consecutive playoff game against a higher-seeded team on Sunday night, beating the Oklahoma City Energy 2-1 on the road in front of 7,654 fans at Taft Stadium to win the Western Conference title. Los Dos, who finished fifth in the West in the regular season but were just two points out of first place, had already defeated the fourth-seeded defending champions Sacramento Republic in the first round and the top-seeded Orange County Blues in the conference semifinals.
LA will face regular season champions Rochester Rhinos at Sahlen's Stadium in Rochester, N.Y. in the USL title game on Friday. Rochester have only lost one game in all competitions all season (21-1-11) and have allowed just 16 goals in 33 games in USL and Open Cup action, including zero in the playoffs.
Galaxy II jumped out to a first half lead on Sunday on the strength of two set-piece goals that started on the foot of 24-year-old midfielder André Auras. In the seventh minute, an Auras free kick was headed high toward the back post by defender Bradley Diallo, and Costa Rica youth international Ariel Lassiter, the son of former US national team and MLS star Roy Lassiter, was on hand to knock it into the net for his third goal of the playoffs.
Auras then buried a terrific 25-yard free kick in the 22nd minute to put LA up 2-0.
Oklahoma City outshot Galaxy II by a 9-5 margin in the second half and did pull a goal back on a Coady Andrews header from a corner kick, but 22-year-old French goalkeeper Clément Diop (three saves) and the LA defense held on for the win.
Six LA Galaxy first-team players appeared in the conference final. Oklahoma City, an affiliate of Sporting Kansas City, did not use any current loaned players, although former Kansas City players Christian Duke, Cyprian Hedrick and Michael Thomas started on the back line under coach Jimmy Nielsen, a former Sporting goalkeeper.
The conference title comes in Galaxy II's second season, both under coach Curt Onalfo; they were the only MLS-operated team in USL in 2014 and did reach the postseason, beating Rochester in the quarterfinals. MLS teams operated eight USL clubs in 2015, with the Galaxy II, Red Bulls II and Sounders 2 reaching the postseason.
Oklahoma City Energy 1, LA Galaxy II 2
Oct. 11, 2015 -- USL Western Conference Final
Taft Stadium -- Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Scoring Summary:
LA -- Ariel Lassiter (Bradley Diallo) 7
LA -- Andre Auras (unassisted) 22
OKC -- Coady Andrews (Sebastian Dalgaard) 65
Misconduct Summary:
OKC -- Gareth Evans (caution) 31
LA -- Jack McBean (caution) 48
LA -- Ignacio Maganto (caution) 89
LA Galaxy II: Clément Diop, Joe Franco, Daniel Steres, Bradley Diallo, Oscar Sorto (Tommy Meyer, 82), Raul Mendiola (Ignacio Maganto, 69), Andre Auras, Kenney Walker, Bryan Olivera (Jaime Villarreal 70), Ariel Lassiter (Travis Bowen, 86), Jack McBean.
Substitutes Not Used: Bennett Sneddon, Lee Nishanian, Alejandro Covarrubias
Oklahoma City Energy: Evan Newton, Michael Thomas, Cyprian Hedrick, Coady Andrews (Kalen Ryden, 88), Christian Duke, Gareth Evans, Daniel Gonzalez (Pete Toth, 64), Casey Townsend (Kyle Greig 46), Chuy Sanchez (Michael Byskov, 46), Sebastian Dalgaard, Danni König.
Substitutes Not Used: Ray Clark, Peabo Doué, Jacob van Compernolle.
Referee: Jaime Herrera
Referee's Assistants: Francisco Bermudez; Nick Uranga
4th Official: Roy Robinson
Attendance: 7,654
