KANSAS CITY, Mo. – The No. 4-seed Swope Park Rangers will play host to the No. 5 seed LA Galaxy II in the Western Conference Quarterfinals of the 2016 USL Cup Playoffs on Friday night at Children’s Mercy Victory Field, with the expansion side aiming to build on a strong end to the regular season against the 2015 Western Conference champions. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. CT.

Matchcenter: http://www.uslsoccer.com/game/show/15143260

Swope Park Rangers news and notes

• Regular Season record: 14-10-6, 48pts

• The Rangers closed the season with six wins in their last seven games to surge into the top four of the Western Conference, including a 2-0 victory against Seattle Sounders FC 2 to end the season.

• An expansion side in 2016, the Rangers are one of three newcomers to the USL Cup Playoffs in the Western Conference.

• The Rangers tightened up defensively as the regular season wound to a close, recording shutouts in three of their last four games.

• Led by Mark Anthony Gonzalez and his team-high nine goals, the Rangers finished third in the Western Conference with 45 goals this season.

LA Galaxy II news and notes

• Regular Season record: 12-7-11, 47pts

• The Galaxy II return to the USL Cup Playoffs for a third consecutive season, and after winning the Western Conference Championship a season ago will be aiming to go one step further this year.

• Los Dos enter the playoffs in the same position as they did a season ago as the No. 5 seed, which it claimed with a 3-1 victory against Real Monarchs SLC this past Saturday.

• Jack McBean led the Galaxy II with 15 goals this season, but is now on loan with English club Coventry City, which will likely mean leading the attack will fall to Ariel Lassiter, who had nine goals this season.

• Lassiter was the leading scorer in the 2015 USL Cup Playoffs with four goals, and has scored 20 goals over the past two USL regular seasons.

Key Players

• Swope Park Rangers – D Amer Didic: The 21-year-old center back earned regular recognition on the USL Team of the Week this season, and also was called into action for Sporting Kansas City for the club’s CONCACAF Champions League contests. His partnership with Oumar Ballo will be key against a Galaxy II attack that led the Western Conference with 52 goals.

• LA Galaxy II – M Jaime Villarreal: The younger Villarreal brother came into his own for Los Dos this season, taking the captain’s armband at times after the departure of McBean, and finished as the club’s leader in minutes played, and also recorded four assists assists. Villarreal’s ability to keep the play moving, and create in the final third, will be essential against a good midfield trio for SPR.

2016 Team leaders

• Goals: Swope Park – Mark Anthony Gonzalez, 9; Los Angeles – Jack McBean, 15

• Assists: Swope Park – Ayrton, 7; Los Angeles – Adonis Amaya, Jose Villarreal, 5

Series Notes

• The Rangers took a 2-1 win at Children’s Mercy Field on August 27 in the only regular-season meeting between the teams, as an early goal by Bradford Jamieson IV for the Galaxy II was overturned by goals from Christian Duke and Mark Anthony Gonzalez for the hosts.

Officials

• REF: Guido Gonzales Jr

• AR1: Ryan Cook

• AR2: Shane Kennard

• 4TH: Andrew Smith

Game hashtag:

• #SPRvLA

Twitter social handles

• Swope Park Rangers – @SwopeRangers

• LA Galaxy II – @LAGalaxyII