Photo courtesy of LA Galaxy II
CARSON, Calif. – Tulsa Roughnecks FC overcame a two-goal halftime deficit to earn a 2-2 draw at the LA Galaxy II on Thursday in Western Conference play at StubHub Track & Field Stadium. Mo Jadama and Ian Svantesson scored in the 62nd and 71st minutes, respectively, to help the Roughnecks earn a road point. It was a strong turnaround going up against an LA side that jumped out to a 2-0 lead midway through the first half. Adrian Vera got things started with a 19th-minute tally and Vera then set up Justin Dhillon’s 24th-minute chip. LA still has yet to post back-to-back wins, but the club did end a five-game losing streak at home (now 1-6-2 at StubHub) and moved to 4-11-3 (15 points) overall. Tulsa earned its first draw of the season as the club sports a 7-8-1 record overall (21 points) and 2-5-1 on the road.
Scoring:
19’ – LA – Adrian Vera (Ryo Fujii)
24’ – LA – Justin Dhillon (Adrian Vera)
62’ – TUL – Mo Jadama (Joaquin Rivas)
71’ – TUL – Ian Svantesson (Collin Fernandez)
#LAvTUL: Full match and Opta box score
Three Things That Mattered:
1. If it feels like it has been a long time since the Galaxy II offense has enjoyed this type of attacking stretch, that’s because it has been nearly a year since LA has posted back-to-back multi-goal games. Following a 4-3 win against the Portland Timbers 2 on Sunday, LA carried that momentum into Thursday night with a pair of goals in a five-minute span from Adrian Vera and Justin Dhillon. The last time the Galaxy II had a similar attacking stretch was in July of 2016, when Los Dos capped off a nine-game unbeaten streak with five consecutive matches in which the club scored two or more goals.
2. LA’s attack was actually fueled by an impressive defensive moment from goalkeeper Eric Lopez, who had a several big saves on the night. The first stop came in the 19th minute, when Lopez sprawled to his left to turn away a Collin Fernandez attempt. The Galaxy II pushed the other way and Vera had some space in the left side of the box. Despite a difficult angle, Vera managed to slot his shot past Roughnecks goalkeeper Fabian Cerda and inside the far right post for a 1-0 lead. Then in the 24th minute, Vera distributed a long-distance pass to Dhillon, who deftly chipped the ball over Cerda, who was well off of his line, and found the back of the net for a two-goal cushion. Dhillon leads LA with six goals.
3. The Roughnecks’ confidence grew when they capitalized on a set-piece opportunity punctuated by Mo Jadama in the 62nd minute. Tulsa’s build-up play had presented some moments off and on throughout the match, but nothing compared to the 71st-minute display down the right flank. A through ball from Kosuke Kimura to split the defense, followed by a simultaneous turn and meg of an LA defender by Fernandez, set the table for Ian Svantesson who drilled his shot from eight yards out top-shelf to tie the score at 2-2.
USLSoccer.com Man of the Match:
Adrian Vera, LA Galaxy II – For a second straight match, Vera played a role in multiple goals, this time recording a goal and an assist.
Upcoming Games:
LA Galaxy II vs. OKC Energy FC – July 30, 9:30 p.m. ET, StubHub Track & Field Stadium
Tulsa Roughnecks FC vs. Phoenix Rising FC – July 22, 8:30 p.m. ET, ONEOK Field
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