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Los Angeles Galaxy’s USL PRO Name: LA Galaxy II

By Jo-Ryan Salazar

Oct 27, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso (6) reaches out to steal the ball form Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane (7) during the 2nd half at CenturyLink Field. The game was a 1-1 draw. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports
Oct 27, 2013; Seattle, WA, USA; Seattle Sounders midfielder Osvaldo Alonso (6) reaches out to steal the ball form Los Angeles Galaxy forward Robbie Keane (7) during the 2nd half at CenturyLink Field. The game was a 1-1 draw. Mandatory Credit: Steven Bisig-USA TODAY Sports /
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We already reported to you earlier this month on MLS Multiplex that the Los Angeles Galaxy will be fielding a USL PRO team this season. Well, we now have more news regarding that. The official name of that team will not be the Los Angeles Galaxy Reserves, but Los Angeles Galaxy II.

That’s right, LA Galaxy II. That’s the name that the Galaxy have chosen for their USL PRO outfit. Curt Onalfo will be coaching this side, and they will start play in March.

“The LA Galaxy are taking a monumental step for player development in North America,” Galaxy president Chris Klein told reporters. “The creation of LA Galaxy II, through USL PRO, provides the Galaxy with a fully realized player development program starting with the Under-12 Academy teams through the LA Galaxy first team.

“The investment of [Galaxy owner] AEG and the Galaxy in LA Galaxy II allows us to continue to develop the best players in Southern California and bridge the gap between the Academy and the LA Galaxy.”

“We are thrilled to welcome LA Galaxy II into USL PRO as our newest expansion club,” USL CEO Alec Papadakis said in a statement. “Entering the second season of our partnership with Major League Soccer, the addition of LA Galaxy II into our competition is an exciting development for all the league’s stakeholders and fortifies our continued efforts to remain the strongest league below and in support of MLS on and off the field.”

“I’m honored to be named the head coach of LA Galaxy II,” Onalfo said. “I’m excited to be provided with the opportunity to coach and develop young players within the Galaxy system and compete for a USL PRO championship.”

The USL PRO season is 28 games long, and LA Galaxy will feature Galaxy first-teamers, players signed by Galaxy II and Galaxy Academy standouts.

Returning to issues regarding Galaxy I (no pun intended), Robbie Keane is recovering from offseason surgery and he hopes to be ready before the start of the 2014 campaign.

“It’s been going very well. The operations were successful. I had both of them done and I’ve been okay,” said Keane to LAGalaxy.com’s Adam Serrano. “Over the last six weeks, I had a lot of rehab with the [Republic of Ireland National Team trainer] like running in the swimming pool to strengthen the Achilles. I did a few jogs last week and one [on Tuesday]. So far, so good.

“It’s been going very well. The operations were successful. I had both of them done and I’ve been okay. Over the last six weeks, I had a lot of rehab with the [Republic of Ireland National Team trainer] like running in the swimming pool to strengthen the Achilles. I did a few jogs last week and one [on Tuesday]. So far, so good.

“I’ll be [fit] well before then. If I really wanted to, I probably could have trained now, but we have to be clever and make sure that this doesn’t reoccur again. So far, it feels good and strong. It’s nice to wake up in the morning and not take an hour to walk to the bathroom.

“You have to go into a season at the start very positive thinking that you have a great chance to win the championship. If you don’t believe that then there’s no point of being here. Certainly, that will be driven into us over the next few weeks. All the players have to step up and do better than we did last year.”

Los Angeles open up their preseason campaign against Armenian powerhouse side FC Shirak on Feb. 8 at StubHub Center in Carson, Calif. See where they will be next week in the upcoming 2014 MLS Preseason Power Rankings on MLS Multiplex.