Matchweek 15 is a welcome reprieve from the grueling stretch Energy FC endured last week. The Greens picked up the maximum six points in week 14 with wins against Portland Timbers 2 and Rio Grande Valley FC, which ended a run of three matches in just six days. Not only did the team get results, but the overall play has drastically improved in recent weeks, and more of the same will be expected when Los Angeles Galaxy II (3-7-4) visit Taft Stadium on Saturday night.

Los Dos come into town level on points with OKC, with the Greens ahead in the table due to having more wins. This will be the first of two regular season meetings between the sides in 2018 – OKC travels to Los Angeles on September 12.

In their most recent outing, the Galaxy II were beaten 0-1 at home by Orange County SC in a match they could have easily won. They would have probably come away with at least a point had it not been for Thomas Enevoldsen’s 82nd minute match winner. The loss ended a two-match win streak, after LA II previously defeated Tulsa Roughnecks FC 1-0 and Las Vegas Lights FC 7-2.

LA Head Coach Mike Munoz lined up the Galaxy II in a 4-2-3-1 against OC: Justin vom Steeg; Nate Shultz, Jean Engola, Hugo Arellano, John Requejo; Andre Ulrich Zanga, Emmanuel Appiah; Miguel Aguilar, Geoffrey Acheampong (Alex Mendez, 62’), Ariel Lassiter (Ulysses Llanez Jr, 45’); Ethan Zubak (Justin Dhillon, 81’). Appiah picked up his fifth yellow card of the season and will miss the match against OKC through suspension.

It’s hard to tell what kind of team will show up when Los Dos take the pitch. They are tied for sixth in the USL with 23 goals scored but have given up the fourth-most goals in the league. In the win over Las Vegas, they scored seven and allowed two, and they also put six past Saint Louis FC in a nine-goal thriller. On the flip side, they gave up seven goals to T2 and four goals to Phoenix Rising FC.

Ethan Zubak will be the number one threat for the visitors. The striker has tallied seven goals to lead Galaxy II in 2018. 16-year-old Efrain Alvarez has also added six goals in just six appearances, however, he hasn’t featured for LA II since the 1-1 draw against RGV on May 24. He and Llanez were selected to play for the Galaxy U-19s in the Developmental Academy Playoffs. The pair could miss the trip to OKC, as the last group play match is slated for June 22. Buescher, the team leader in assists with five, should be back in the squad after serving a one-match suspension. The captain was booked twice and sent off in the win against Tulsa.

Energy FC Head Coach will have a bit of a selection problem on his hands this week, although it’s a great problem to have. After rotating the squad last week and giving minutes to 16 players who hardly put a foot wrong, the gaffer will have plenty of options to choose from when picking his team.

Christian Ibeagha will likely be back in the lineup and wearing the captain’s armband again, after serving a one-match suspension for yellow-card accumulation. Justin Chavez performed exceptionally in his stead, however. Callum Ross and Philip Rasmussen formed a solid partnership in central midfield in the last two matches and contributed with a goal and two assists, respectively. Shawn McLaws filled in for both Kyle Hyland and Richard Dixon and had two fantastic performances against T2 and RGV. Drew Beckie played all 270 minutes over the six-day stretch last week and is surely going to be in the XI. Jaime Siaj is hitting his stride with two goals in the last two matches. Francis Atuahene and Kalif Alhassan are looking fitter and more dangerous each time they step on the pitch. With Jose Barril, Miguel Gonzalez, Jon Brown and Alex Dixon all also in good form, the manager is going to have some tough decisions to make.

Making it three wins on the bounce Saturday could see the Greens move up another spot in the table, and depending on how other results go, tighten the race for the playoffs even more. Energy FC are now on 13 points, just 7 off the 8th place Switchbacks. Colorado Springs and 11th place Fresno FC meet on Saturday night, while 9th place San Antonio FC hosts 7th place Reno 1868 FC. Saint Louis FC (10th) and Las Vegas Lights FC (12th) also face tough tests this week, as they are away to Sacramento Republic FC (3rd) and the Swope Park Rangers (5th), respectively. 

Saturday’s match at Taft Stadium kicks off at 7:30 p.m. CT, and for those that don’t already have tickets, you can find them at energyfc.com or by calling 405-235-KICK(5425).