Friday, September 18, 2020
7:00 p.m. PT
TV: YouTube TV, Estrella TV
RADIO: ESPN LA 710AM, ESPN App, KFWB 980 AM
The Black & Gold finally regained their goalscoring groove last match, dropping the Portland Timbers 4-2 Sunday night, snapping a streak that saw them lose four of their last five matches. Up next, LAFC looks to avenge its 3-1 loss to reigning MLS Cup Champion Seattle Sounders FC a mere two weeks ago.
The last two matches between these two clubs have seen results swing wildly from LAFC’s favor, where they sent Seattle packing 4-1 in the Round of 16 in the MLS is Back Tournament, to the Sounders' favor, where they trounced the Black & Gold 3-1 on Aug. 30.
The all-time series across all competitions between these two clubs have produced some of the more memorable games in LAFC’s short history, including the Club’s inaugural match in 2018 at CenturyLink Field, defeating Seattle 1-0 on the Club’s first-ever goal scored by Diego Rossi. The series also included the first-ever match at Banc of California Stadium, where LAFC defeated the Sounders 1-0 along with the 2019 Western Conference Finals matchup where the Sounders dashed the Club’s title hopes with a 3-1 victory. Friday night’s contest will mark the sixth regular season meeting between the two sides, with LAFC owning a record of 3-1-1.
The reigning MLS Cup Champions opened the 2020 MLS Season to early success, beginning with a 2-1 victory over the Chicago Fire and 1-1 draw against the Columbus Crew. The Sounders made it out of MIB group play seeded second in Group B, taking home four points before ultimately being sent home by LAFC. But upon returning home to play in the league’s phase one restart, the Sounders have been on a tear, losing only one of their first five matches to Cascadia rival Portland Timbers. In their last match, the Sounders set a record by scoring five goals after the opening whistle faster than any team in MLS history, needing just 33 minutes to do it, and they tied the record for most goals in a first half (five), before ultimately defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 7-1. Seattle currently sits second in the Western Conference with a 5-2-3 record (18 pts).
LAFC ended a two-game losing streak last Sunday night, defeating the Portland Timbers 4-2, and look to continue their winning ways as they enter this next phase of the 2020 MLS Regular Season. The Club opened the year with a win over expansion team Inter Miami FC and a draw against the Philadelphia Union before the season was suspended on March 12th as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. In the MLS Is Back Tournament, the Black & Gold were sent home by Orlando City SC in the quarterfinals by way of penalties, but not before picking up five regular season points in the group stage with ties against Houston and Portland and a win over the Galaxy. Since the season restart, the Club suffered back-to-back losses to the Galaxy and Seattle Sounders, took three points from San Jose, then suffered two more losses to the Galaxy and Real Salt Lake before turning it around last match against the Timbers. The Black & Gold currently sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with a 4-4-3 record (15 pts).
SEATTLE IN DEPTH
The Sounders play a low-block defensive squad that rely heavily on their playmaker, Nicolás Lodeiro, to float around the field and look for attacking openings on the sides of the pitch where he has some of the more dangerous offensive weapons in the league in Jordan Morris and Raúl Ruidíaz. Seattle is able to strike a delicate balance of parking themselves low, employing a defensive ethos that makes it tough for opponents to break down, while staying dangerous because of their dangerous multidimensional attacking personnel.
MIDFIELD SOLIDITY
Since returning home from the MLS is Back tournament in Orlando, LAFC has seen a drop in play from the middle of the field that prior was one of the more dangerous elements of their overall scheme. Short turnarounds, inclement weather and a global pandemic all contributed to a drop off in sharpness, but it is also no secret that the Club was missing a crucial cog of their midfield system in 2019 MLS Best XI, Eduard Atuesta. However, after a long layoff post an injury suffered in LAFC’s to Orlando City in the MIB Tournament on July 31st, Atuesta returned to the pitch last match in the 80th minute and his presence made an immediate impact. Aside from having a heavy impact on the Club’s final goal in the match, his ability to provide the midfield with a sense of solidity and organization, allowing personnel to cover for each other more effectively was on full display if even for just his 10 minutes on the pitch. His presence simply enables LAFC to be a less predictable squad.
It will likely take a couple of games for Atuesta to get fully ready to go a compete 90 minutes, with him adding the following in a press availability yesterday: “I feel great physically, but that is sometimes the mistake players make when coming back from injury, I know I need to take things slowly and start getting more minutes in order for my body to get used to playing the full 90 minutes.”
Look for Atuesta to get some more minutes under him this match, and in turn the Club to come through with more dangerous attacks with him on the pitch.
LAFC WILL WIN IF… / SEATTLE CAN WIN IF…
We’re doing something a little different for this match. We’ve combined this section simply because these two sides know each other so well of late. This will now be the third time these two club’s will have met in under two months, and given the results of the last couple of matches, one thing has become abundantly clear. LAFC and Seattle have two starkly different styles of play, with LAFC employing a high pressing, creative, attack-minded style, compared to Seattle’s low-block, defensive-minded, counter-attack flourishing style, and whoever has taken each of the last respective matches have done so because they played their game better. This match is a tale of two styles, and whichever team can find a way to impose their stye on the other will find success.
SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT…
LAFC has struggled to find consistency in goal this year, but last match saw now-starter, Pablo Sisniega, gain a degree of confidence after making an early mistake in the first half but come back in the second half to exert his presence on the field. He ended up taking his third win on the year and coming up with a couple of big saves and play break-ups that allowed the Club to hold onto their lead.
“We always remind goalkeepers that if somehow in the first half you allowed a play to get away from you,” Bradley said. “There is going to be a moment in the second half where you are going to be called on and you have got to be ready.”
Ready Pablo was.
The Black & Gold’s Uruguayan talent was on full display last match. The Club’s second goal saw the chance originate from Francisco Ginella to Brian Rodriguez, who then found a streaking Diego Rossi for his league-leading 10th goal on the year. All three have found time on Uruguayan National teams, and they will be facing fellow countryman Nicolás Lodeiro. There will likely be some more Uruguayan magic on display this next match.
