Written by: Abram Heredia
Following two goalless defeats, Quakes II finally clinched their third win of the season against an LAFC 2 side that has yet to win in their six games so far.
Stats/Standings
This win lands Quakes II in 6th place, tied with North Texas and Real Monarchs but with fewer games played and a better goal difference than both. It should also be noted that Quakes II have a game in hand against the two teams above them in the table as well and could potentially pass them in the table with another win.
Starting XI: (4-3-3): Ochoa; Verhoeven, Munie, Cano, Tingey; Cilley, Ayon, Blancas; Hategan, Castro, Richmond
Emi Ochoa has been among the most talked-about names in the Quakes youth development system. Today he showed everyone why with crucial saves at multiple points in this game. The young goalkeeper has had a strange season after an injury to first-team keeper Daniel, meant Emi would be obligated to travel with the first team as direct backup to J.T. Marcinkowski. During this time Ochoa was not able to play for Quakes II due to injury liability issues. In his first game back he conceded twice against Colorado and looked visibly dejected after the match. Today’s shut-out performance is a testament to his mental fortitude to be able to shake off previous results and be the wall that his team needed.
Munie and Cano made up the center-back pairing today and played well in the absence of Casey Walls who is out with an injury. The pair were able to manage a clean sheet though at times they struggled to pass out of the back without a left-footed center back.
Oscar Verhoeven made his Quakes II debut in this match, appearing in the right-back position. Having previously made appearances for the United States Youth National Team, fans were eagerly awaiting his debut and thankfully he did not disappoint. Verhoeven showed a lot of enthusiasm to get forward often, as well as courage to take on his man and make an opportunity for his team despite being only 16 years old. Though there are many options at the right back spot for De Geer to choose from, if Verhoeven can refine his accuracy in the final third he should have no problem making the position his own.
The forwards struggled to impact the game in the first half as there was a disconnect when trying to progress the ball from the midfield to the forward line. The LAFC 2 defense did well to keep the wingers out of the game and cut off service to Rodolfo Castro Jr. who had to resort to dropping deep to find the ball. In the second half, Quakes II were able to find Castro higher up the pitch which resulted in a few shots on goal.
Goal Recap
The sole goal came from a mistake in the LAFC 2 defense thanks to some great pressuring from Castro.
The defender on the right side misplaced a pass to his teammate at the edge of the box. The pass was read and cut out by Lalo Blancas who rushed into the defender’s path, won the ball, and placed it past the keeper with his left foot.
Player Of The Match
An honorable mention for player of the match has to go to Rodolfo Castro Jr. who looked threatening throughout the match and continuously showed the impact that a strong mindset can have.
In only his second appearance of the season, my player of the match is Emi Ochoa. The ability to bounce back from a loss and come up big for his team when needed is the mark of an elite keeper and Emi Ochoa has the potential to be just that.
Looking Forward
Next up, Quakes II face SKC II at home. Sporting is currently 10th in the Western conference although they threaten to overtake the Quakes in the table if they win.
The last time the two faced each other, Quakes II managed a comprehensive 4-1 victory away from home. Despite SKC II being lower in the table the two teams are pretty evenly matched this season and it will take a good performance from either side if they hope to come out on top.
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