Happy New Year LAFC fam! Now that the long holiday break is over, we are back rested and ready for the year ahead. First, we want to welcome in the new year with the return of the Player Postmortem. A feature that takes a look back at how players fared throughout the season and what we might expect from them in the season ahead. As we did with our Angel City postmortem, we begin with a group of players that logged less than 500 minutes last season. Despite the lack of minutes, some of these players were able to make the most of their opportunities and at the very least, provided some memorable moments for the black & gold in 2024.
Tomás Ángel – Forward
We start with a player that saw more time in the US Open Cup tournament, than he did in MLS action. Tallying a total of 181 minutes this season, only 46 minutes came in MLS Regular Season action. While not a player that saw a lot of match time, he made the most of what he did get, scoring two goals across two competitions. The 21-year-old attacker wasn’t brought in to feature heavy, but to provide some depth, especially in competitions outside of league play. He did that incredibly well for the black & gold. Even without a ton of goals he always opened up space, found chances, and created them for others. It was recently announced that LAFC had traded Ángel as well as the second-round pick in the 2025 MLS SuperDraft to expansion side San Diego FC in exchange for $200k General Allocation Money (GAM). It will be interesting to see how much San Diego lean on Tomás, who could be a great young addition to the upstart club.
Tomás Ángel with his first @MLS goal 👏#LAFCvSJ 6-2 pic.twitter.com/roYuTeouWE
— LAFC (@LAFC) June 23, 2024
Nathan Ordaz – Forward
Ordaz is another youngster that came into this year just looking to make the most of every opportunity they got and he did just that. A true homegrown that has been brought up through the ranks at LAFC, Ordaz continued to show his talent this season. Finishing the year with a goal and three assists, as well as making three starts for the black & gold in MLS regular season action. The young attacker did what many wanted him to do this season, show improvement. While it’s unlikely we see him heavily featured next season, it wouldn’t surprise to see him moved up into the main 18 for the club in 2025. Of course, for a team like LAFC that is always looking to sign the best and brightest, that will be easier said than done, but if anyone has shown they can breakthrough, it’s Ordaz.
.@LAFC pull one back with minutes remaining in the match. 👀 pic.twitter.com/o9KSiydRkH
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 14, 2024
David Martinez – Midfielder
To be completely transparent, Martinez’ minutes total across all competitions puts him barely over 500 with 506 minutes. That said, we are putting him here on this list. Much like the previous players, David was brought in as an exciting young talent that the club hoped would put in a shift when asked too. Not only did he do that, but he begun his rise into cult-hero status with the way he performed this season. Martinez finished 2024 with five goals across all competitions, as well as three assists and coming away with an 85% successful passing rate. The 18-year-old showed without a doubt just how high his ceiling is this season leaving fans excited for the future to come. Unless transferred away, Martinez will absolutely be back with the black & gold next season, and don’t be surprised to see the Venezuelan starting a lot more than he had this season. With some of the superstars aging, it might be time to let one of the future stars get a crack at regular minutes.
What a way to score your first-ever MLS goal, David Martínez! 😮💨@LAFC leads it late in Colorado. pic.twitter.com/WyssDD16ZZ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 30, 2024
Erik Dueñas – Defender
Another young star rising through the ranks at LAFC, Dueñas didn’t have a breakout year, but had another season of improvement which is what you want to see from the kids you bring up over the years. While the 20-year-old defender saw less appearances and minutes compared to 2023, it was less down to his ability regressing and more the nature of how the club operate. With the arrival of Aaron Long and Ryan Hollingshead it was clear the team wanted to lean more into the veterans of MLS, leaving Dueñas with fewer opportunities, but that didn’t slow him down. In 14 appearances Dueñas made four starts, was able to get an assist and finished with a 90% pass success percentage with over 160 passes. He did well in defense when called upon winning 20% of his small sample size of aerial duels, recorded a few interceptions and most importantly for a defender, was never the reason for conceding a goal. The team is set to look a lot different next season, and Dueñas is another player that could see his responsibilities and minutes increase in 2025. He still has plenty to work on, but at this stage in his development what he really could use is valuable minutes on the pitch.
Thoughts? Leave a comment below!