Union U19s fall in quarterfinals to LA Galaxy

The Los Angeles Galaxy, bolstered by the addition of two regulars from Los Dos who hadn’t suited up for the U19 team during the regular season, had just too much firepower for the Philadelphia Union in a 4-1 win in the Development Academy quarterfinals on Monday night.

LA Galaxy homegrown Efrain Alvarez (who has six goals in USL this season) scored with a lovely flick from distance using the outside of his foot and his Los Dos teammate Ulysses Llanez opened the scoring in the 13th minute. Alex Mendez and Aristotle Zarris added second half goals in the match played 80 miles from the team’s home base in Oceanside, California.

The score could have been even more lopsided, given the number of chances the Galaxy created and some of the shaky moments in the back uncharacteristic of the usually dependable Union back line.

The Union did make things interesting in the first half when they fought back from an early deficit to tie the game in the 27th minute. Tonny Temple scored on a lovely chip after collecting a long pass in the box from Seth Kuhn.

The goal was the 20th of the season for Temple, who rejoined the academy from the U17 U.S. Residency Program last summer.

The loss was the first for the team since last November, when they dropped a game to Bethesda SC. It was also the first loss for head coach Kevin Coleman, who took over the team in March.

They finished the year 23-3-4. Thirteen of the 19 players on the roster have seen their academy careers come to an end. All but one player — Darius Lewis — is committed to play college soccer this fall.