LAFC opens its 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs journey on Monday, November 23, in St. Louis, in the first match of its Round One Best-of-3 series against St. Louis CITY SC. At stake: a 1-0 series lead headed into Game 2 on Saturday, November 28, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.
The first team with two wins advances to the Western Conference Semifinals.
Seeded sixth in the Western Conference, LAFC is no stranger to do-or-die tournament football this year. The Black & Gold traversed North and Central America and survived three rounds of knockout play to reach the Semifinals of 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup, where it lost to eventual champions Toluca of Liga MX. LAFC went on to defeat Toluca 1-0 in Leagues Cup play, part of an unbeaten run in that tournament that saw the Black & Gold narrowly miss the knockout stage on a tiebreaker.
Much has happened since then, however, including a coaching change, key injuries, and the acquisition of four international transfers. The ride, results-wise, has been bumpy, with LAFC holding a 1W-2L-3D record since interim head coach Xavi Tamarit took over on October 1. Saturday’s Decision Day performance on the road against the Seattle Sounders, however, offered reasons for renewed belief - or as Tamarit put it: "We started to see the team we want to be in the playoffs.”
FINDING FORM
LAFC’s 2-1 defeat in Seattle last weekend was decided by two first-half defensive mistakes, creating a 2-0 hole that the Black & Gold could not repair against a team fighting for its playoff life. LAFC won the xG battle on the night (expected goals) 2.9 to 1.1, and held 55 percent possession, with a 24-5 edge in total shots and an 8-3 advantage in shots on target.
“They scored two goals from two specific moments where clearly we weren't sharp enough,” Tamarit said afterward, “but beyond that I believe we were far superior. In fact, I don’t think we deserved to lose this match.”
The team’s previous performance, against Minnesota, was one of its poorest of the year by Tamarit’s estimation. Still, LAFC led Minnesota 22-6 in shots, and held the xG edge. The Loons’ three goals in the 3-1 win came on their only three shots on target.
The match prior to that, against the Galaxy, saw LAFC hold a 21-11 advantage in shots, with 56 percent possession, and an xG of 3.1 to the Galaxy’s 1.8.
LAFC has fallen behind 2-0 in each of its last three matches, but according to Apple TV play-by-play veteran Keith Costigan, who called the Seattle match and joined Max Bretos on this Week’s Inside LAFC podcast, the Seattle match saw baby steps turn into actual strides forward.
“I said in the second half to Mo [color commentator Mo Edu], ‘This front four is starting to knock the ball really well,’” Costigan said. “I know you want to create more chances, but Sounders were sitting back and saying, ‘We're going to hold on to what we have’ … I thought Walta was lively. I thought Denis Bouanga absolutely tore [Seattle’s right back] apart in a wide area, again showcasing why outside of Messi he's probably the best 1-v-1 player in Major League Soccer … I walked away after the second half thinking, ‘I'm starting to see an identity here now.’ Does that mean it's going to click into gear in the playoffs? I don't know, but I saw a lot more of an identity than I did when they played against Vancouver a few weeks ago in Tamarit's first game in charge.”
“We have two weeks ahead of us,” Tamarit said in Spanish in his postmatch media session. “There’s work to be done. We need to improve in certain areas. I think we’ve made great strides in possession—really significant improvement … Now, the playoffs begin. These are completely different matches, where both teams will have the same needs and the same sense of urgency. I’m certain this will act as a ‘switch’ for the team, helping them approach the game with a different mentality.”
Center back Eddie Segura, who scored LAFC’s only goal in Seattle, said in Spanish: “Finals are completely different matches, and we’re going to work on everything that still needs to fall into place—ensuring we get everything exactly right. We’ve reached the best part of the year, the culmination of all our hard work, and we’re going to focus on correcting those little things—those fine details—so that we can perform at our best during these finals. That’s what matters most; we’re fully aware of that, and we’re going to go for it all.”
THE STANDARD REMAINS
No MLS club has reached the playoffs in each of the last nine years. LAFC is one of just four clubs to do so in eight of the last nine seasons (2018-2026), and is the youngest club among those four teams (LAFC, Seattle, Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia). Philadelphia Union is the second-youngest, having joined MLS in 2010.
Since MLS unveiled this playoff format three years ago, LAFC has a record of 6W-1L-0D in Round One Best-of-3 matches, outscoring opponents 15-8, including a 3-0-0 record in Game 1 matches. However, this is the first time LAFC will play on the road in Game 1 as the lower seed. St. Louis holds home-field advantage with a potential Game 3 being played at Energizer Park.
Overall, LAFC has a 11W-6L-2D record in MLS Cup Playoff matches since joining the league in 2018. LAFC is 3W-3L-1D on the road in MLS Cup Playoff matches.
LAFC appeared in back-to-back MLS Cup Finals in 2022 and 2023, something no other club has done since 2016-17 (Toronto FC).
THE SERIES
LAFC and St. Louis have won two of the three most recent U.S. Open Cup championships, with LAFC earning the trophy in 2024 and St. Louis claiming it this summer (2026).
Head-to-head, LAFC has a 5W-1L-2D record against St. Louis, all-time, with all eight meetings coming in the MLS regular season. St. Louis, which joined MLS in 2023, did not score a goal against LAFC over their first four meetings, and has only scored four goals in the series to LAFC’s 14. LAFC has secured clean sheets in six of its eight all-time matches against St. Louis.
The third-seed in the Western Conference, St, Louis earned its first ever win over LAFC in their most recent meeting, a 2-1 result in St. Louis back in May that was preserved by a diving save by STL goalkeeper Roman Bürki in the 81st minute. That game also began with LAFC falling behind 1-0 early, through a fourth-minute transition goal by Tomas Totland.
Tamarit is working to end that trend. “This is the team we want to be in the next games,” he said after last weekend’s second-half performance in Seattle. “Don't wait to react after a goal from the opponent. We want to be from the start until the end that team, and we are showing that we can be. We need to convince ourselves that we are that team.”
Added Segura in Spanish: “I am absolutely certain that with the squad we have and the drive we possess, we will have the chance to show a better version of ourselves in the upcoming finals. I am confident and certain that this team will go out there and leave everything on the pitch in these next few matches … We have plenty of days to prepare, and—God willing—these playoffs are going to be something truly special for us.”
BUT FIRST
LAFC has sent six players to represent their countries during the FIFA international window that precedes Game 1 in St. Louis.
- Denis Bouanga, Gabon
- Mathieu Choinière, Canada
- Ryan Porteous, Scotland
- Son Heung-Min, South Korea
- Jude Terry, USA U-19
- Leo Walta, Finland
THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT
There is another 6th-seed within LAFC from which the club’s senior squad can draw inspiration.
LAFC2 – the Black & Gold’s developmental, MLS NEXT Pro squad, composed largely of LAFC Academy graduates in their late teens and early 20s – advanced through three rounds of road victories to reach last weekend’s league final, MLS NEXT Pro Cup, where it fell 1-0 to Chattanooga FC in Tennessee.
Before that championship match kicked off, Tamarit said, “Winning the final would be incredible—but the truth is that the work is there, regardless of the outcome. They should feel proud of what they’ve accomplished. We all are.
“I believe a club should always rely heavily on its academy,” added Tamarit, who has coached in the English Premier League and La Liga in his home country, Spain. “It needs to develop talent so that those players can make it into the first team. It would be wonderful if, in a few years, 50 percent of the LAFC squad consisted of players from the academy. That’s what I believe. And it’s something I truly feel that the club, looking toward the future—whether I’m here or not—should aim to have fewer players brought in from outside and rely more on players from the youth ranks … Football is increasingly defined by astronomical transfer fees, yet we have a wealth of talent here in this part of the country. Our academy is doing an excellent job, as evidenced by the performance of its players. So I truly hope there will be a greater commitment to investing in players from the academy. Not just for the sake of it, but because they are well-prepared—the work being done is excellent. For any club, having players developed within its own academy is a massive asset—an invaluable advantage.”
