Curt Onalfo has released a statement on Twitter hitting back against "sometimes very unfair scrutiny" of his job performance as LA Galaxy head coach less than 48 hours after the Galaxy dismissed the longtime assistant and installed Sigi Schmid.
Citing prolonged injury absences for "seven key starters" -- including Sebastian Lletget and Jermaine Jones -- and regular national team callups for Giovani dos Santos and Gyasi Zardes, Onalfo expressed frustration he was not given the chance to turn around a frustrating first half of the season with a now-healthier and more complete roster.
"I never made excuses, did our best to compete daily and tried to handle myself with dignity and class under tremendous and sometimes very unfair scrutiny," the statement reads. "I thought I had the support of management."
Onalfo added that he still wishes "nothing but the best" for the Galaxy organization, where he began his MLS playing career in 1996 and worked his way up through the assistant coaching ranks from 2011-2016.
The Galaxy enter the weekend in ninth place in the Western Conference and five points beneath the playoff line. A league-best away record of 5-4-1 has been canceled out by a 1-6-3 home mark, the worst of any MLS side.
Onalfo has has now twice been named as an MLS club's new coach only to be dismissed later that season. In 2010, he was fired by D.C. United after piloting the Black-and-Red to a 3-12-3 record. He was replaced by current D.C. coach Ben Olsen.
