LA Galaxy vs. Orange County SC: Three Questions

Three Questions is back! In honor of Orange County SC’s big U.S. Open Cup game tonight against the LA Galaxy, we’ve called in a friend, Kyle Sennikoff of SB Nation’s Galaxy site LAG Confidential. Many thanks to Kyle for taking the time to answer my questions, and hope you enjoy getting an update on the opponents tonight.

Angels on Parade asks LAG Confidential

1. How will the Galaxy line up for this Open Cup game? Or maybe I should ask how many regular starters will suit up for this one?

As far as the exact lineup goes, it's really hard to tell.

I think in goal it'll probably be Jon Kempin. In defense, there should only be one or two regular starters, with Ashley Cole and Jelle Van Damme getting the night off. Then up front it's really all up in the air. I would assume that Joao Pedro starts in midfield and would like to see one of (or both) Jack McBean and Jose Villarreal get playing time.

2. It's always hard to figure out a new coach's priorities, but has Curt Onalfo given any hints as to whether the Galaxy will take the Open Cup seriously or just give guys some minutes and see what happens? Bruce Arena had the reputation of punting the tournament, even though they went to the semifinal last year.

Curt Onalfo said today that with the Houston Dynamo match on Saturday night, that the starting XI is going to get shuffled a bit. Does that mean he isn't prioritizing the Open Cup? It's hard to say. But at this point, with the extremely slow start to the season and the fan base a bit against him, every win needs to be welcomed by Onalfo, even if it's the Cup.

3. Are Galaxy fans generally hoping for a deep Open Cup run, or is it a competition that doesn't really inspire the fanbase? Would a loss on Wednesday be a big deal, or just a shrug and move on situation?

Honestly, I don't think they are hoping for that at all. Yes, it'd obviously be nice to win another trophy, but with the way that this season has gone with injuries, more matches played just means potential for more injuries.

If they were to lose, however, that would just add fuel to the #FireOnalfo bandwagon that started the day he was hired.

4. (Bonus) Prediction for the game?

I think it'll be close, but the Galaxy should prevail either by a 2-1 or 3-1 scoreline with their quality getting the better of OC.

You can find my answers to Kyle’s questions on LAG Confidential.

What do you think? Leave a comment below!