Andrew Fasano
Staff Writer
After developing his skills with the academy since 2012, former Costa student Ian Lonergan is ready to take his soccer to the next level.
Lonergan has been involved in the La Galaxy Academy soccer program for five years, competing at the highest level in youth soccer in the nation. Lonergan made his professional debut with the La Galaxy II team, commonly known as “Los Dos” on Saturday (March 25th).
Link to the LA Galaxy 2 (Los Dos) website
“It was crazy to hear my name announced for the first time in a professional game,” Lonergan said. “It was crazy knowing that I’ve played in my first pro game, but more importantly, it gave me hope for the future and made my dream seem more attainable.”
In Lonergan’s debut, he started and played the entire game as Los Dos’ left back aiding to the team’s shutout victory 2-0 against Vancouver Whitecaps II. In Lonergan’s second game, he travelled to San Antonio with the team and came on as a substitute in the team’s 3-0 loss to San Antonio FC.
“Playing at the professional level is a different game,” Lonergan said. “The USL (United Soccer League) is much more physically demanding and fast paced, which is great practice for me learning how to make quicker decisions.”
Photos: Lonergan suits up for his professional debut. Courtesy of LA Galaxy
After contemplating offers from numerous top division 1 soccer schools such as the Universities of Washington and Georgetown, Lonergan made his decision (as of March) to commit to the University of California Berkeley to pursue his soccer career.
“Berkeley is a great school and I love everything about it from the coaching staff to the school itself,” Lonergan said. “I love playing this game and the recognition of being a professional athlete is as satisfying as can be.”
Video: The LA Galaxy 2 played the Vancouver Whitecaps 2 in both team’s season openers on Saturday March 25 at the Stubhub Center in Carson, California. The LA Galaxy beat the Whitecaps 2-0, putting them 1-0 on the season.
While playing with the Los Dos, Lonergan plays alongside some of the current big names in the Galaxy program such as Baggio Husidic and Jose Villarreal. Husidic and Villarreal are players who rotate between the first team and the Los Dos team.
Top Drawer Soccer article about Lonergan’s commitment to the University of California Berkeley.
“I feel truly humbled to play amongst these stars, but the best part is learning from the older guys and applying their skills to my game,” Lonergan said. “They are stronger and fast-paced and I’m becoming better because of it since I need to know how to think faster and smarter.”
On top of training with his under 18 academy team, Lonergan has been training day in and day out with the Los Dos team for the past two to three weeks in their preseason push, getting ready for the season opener. According to Lonergan, he should have some more opportunities to showcase his capabilities at the professional level.
“I can’t wait for more games to come,” Lonergan said. “Playing with the Los Dos team has already helped me become a better player. As long as I’m needed in the future, I look forward to more caps with the pro team as I’m always ready for a chance to bring my game to a higher level.”
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