In all, six players who had competed for Onalfo with the Galaxy II were in the starting lineup, including the entire back four and goalkeeper Clement Diop, with all three substitutes having done the same. When former Ventura County Fusion midfielder Ema Boateng banged home Alessandrini’s low cross for what proved to be the winner in the 74th minute, it gave a big lift to everyone in the Galaxy locker room.

“It’s a big win for him and us,” former Los Dos player Nathan Smith told LA Galaxy Insider Adam Serrano. “It’s his first win of the season, and that’s big. Curt has been saying that we’ve been playing well and we were just unfortunate in the first two games. We’re just coming out and playing our game.”

The Galaxy will return home for their next outing after this week’s international beak, as they face face Vancouver Whitecaps FC on April 1 at StubHub Center. With a first win secured, Onalfo believes the side will build on its first league win of 2017.

“It feels good. We believe in what we’re doing,” Onalfo said. “It’s only going to get better. It takes a long time for a team to become a team and gel. Patience is a virtue. We’re going to stick to our process, and we’re only going to get better.”