LAFC are rolling.
With a lopsided 3-0 win over Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday night, they're through to the Leagues Cup semifinals. They've reached a new level since the group stage, outscoring their opponents 9-1 in three knockout round matches, and look like favorites to reach the Aug. 25 final.
In typical LAFC fashion, their counter attack was lethal. Denis Bouanga's second-half goal was vintage, taking a Hugo Lloris punt in stride, beating a pair of Sounders defenders for pace and smashing his shot off the post and in. It's the type of goal we've seen from this team before.
"We know we are a team, if we can get up in the scoreline – whether that be by set piece, or good football, or whatever it is – we always know we have a very potent counter attack," said head coach Steve Cherundolo after the match. "We also understand that that has been a recipe for success against Seattle. And that's what happened again tonight."
Déjà vu in Seattle
Like Bouanga's goal, the result itself was a bit of déjà vu. In their final match before the Leagues Cup break, the Black & Gold earned another 3-0 win at Lumen Field, getting eerily similar stats and a brace from Bouanga in another dynamic and dominant display.
"There's no substitute for quality players. And we have quality players," smiled Cherundolo. "I mean, Denis Bouanga, for one, who is physically talented, technically talented, who also just loves scoring goals and knows where to be.
"It's not just having talented players," he continued. "We train in that fashion, and we work hard on the training pitch. A good defensive structure, an organized defensive structure, sets you up automatically for counterattacks, if you're in the right spots. And that takes tactical discipline, and that takes a lot of work in the training field."
Trophies within reach
All that work is paying off once again for Cherundolo and LAFC. They'll play the Colorado Rapids in Wednesday's semifinal at BMO Stadium, knowing a win would earn a spot in next year's Concacaf Champions Cup and have them within touching distance of yet another trophy.
With an MLS Cup and a Supporters' Shield already in the trophy case over the last two-and-a-half seasons, they continue to be one of the best sides in MLS and a firm candidate to capture their first Leagues Cup title.
Ironically, yet another match is on the cards for LAFC in Seattle. They'll take on the Sounders yet again, this time in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal on August 28.
Can Cherundolo's side earn yet another win in Seattle and extend a 7W-0L-2D unbeaten run against the Rave Green that dates back to May 2021?
"I think these are always tight matches. I think this game looks very different if Seattle can get up in the scoreline," Cherundolo said. "... Sometimes it's just good fortune. But getting up in the scoreline against Seattle is imperative for us. And we're very focused on the beginning of games and we're going to do that.
"We'll try again in 10 days or something like that."
