Los Angeles FC head coach Steve Cherundolo instructed his gamers to depart their ‘egos on the entrance door’ forward of their Western Convention semi-final towards the Seattle Sounders.
LAFC are the highest-seeded staff within the West, that means they’ll have residence benefit for the ultimate in the event that they make it previous the Sounders on Sunday.
This yr, the Black and Gold have already lifted silverware, the US Open Cup, and made it to the Leagues Cup last, however suffered some poor runs in the course of the common season and appeared to lose focus.
Nevertheless, Cherundolo and his gamers have been capable of appropriate in time and enter the postseason with an actual sense of momentum and a perception that they’ll go all the way in which.
“We’ve had a pair frank talks with the blokes about checking your egos on the entrance door. We went by a tough patch after we have been actually stretched skinny in quite a lot of video games with an inconceivable schedule, and we ended up popping out on high,” Cherundolo stated.
“I believe it positively helps to have performed in video games like this. However when you’ve got not, the motivation shall be a lot larger, so there’s give and takes.
“This specific staff has expertise and has some youth as effectively. What I actually admire about this group is that now we have other ways to interrupt groups down relying on who we line up and the way we work our bench. We have now some ways to beat groups.”
One other chapter this Saturday.#ForLosAngeles | #MLSCupPlayoffs pic.twitter.com/p53ZXB0992
— LAFC (@LAFC) November 22, 2024
Seattle, in the meantime, are hoping to rectify their poor head-to-head file towards LAFC, having typically discovered themselves on the shedding finish of a one-sided rivalry.
The Sounders have received simply 5 of their 22 all-time conferences with LAFC, although midfielder Jordan Morris stated his facet weren’t afraid of the problem mendacity forward of his team-mates.
“Clearly they’ve gotten the higher of us the previous couple of instances and it’s irritating,” Morris stated.
“We all know how good of a staff they’re, however we all know how good of a staff we’re as effectively and I believe you see that over the again half of the season, how we performed and climbed the desk and received to the place we’re.
“So I believe simply having confidence, perception that we are able to play with anybody on this league, together with this staff.”
Sounders head coach Brian Schmetzer additionally alluded to potential adjustments in fashion, saying: “Properly, we’re not going to shrink back. We’re not going to vary dramatically who we’re,” Schmetzer stated.
“We’re nonetheless going to press excessive on aim kicks; if now we have possession of their half of the sphere, we’re going to counter-press – it’s not like we’re going to vary all the things. There are simply refined tweaks that now we have to make. As a result of we haven’t received good outcomes towards them.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga has scored eight targets in playoff matches since his postseason debut in 2022, together with netting the one aim in LAFC’s win over Seattle in final yr’s convention semi-finals. No different participant has greater than 5 playoff targets in that point.
He additionally has an unbeaten file towards the Sounders, successful three of his 4 video games towards them (D1), whereas additionally offering three aim involvements (two targets, one help) in these matches.
Seattle Sounders – Cristian Roldan
Roldan has been a vital determine for the Sounders this season, lacking simply two video games all through the season, whereas additionally beginning all 43 video games he has featured in. However, he shall be hoping for a greater efficiency this time round.
After placing the Sounders forward of their Sport 2 draw with Houston by way of an 87th-minute aim, he put by his personal internet in second-half stoppage time to ship the match to penalties. Roldan is the primary participant in MLS historical past to attain a aim and an personal aim in a single playoff match.
That postseason vitality pic.twitter.com/Zd23jkQclg
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) November 20, 2024
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
LAFC has received six straight matches towards Seattle in all competitions, relationship again to final season’s playoffs, eliminating the Sounders in final yr’s postseason on the convention semi-final stage in addition to knocking them out of this yr’s Leagues Cup (quarter-final) and US Open Cup (semi-final).
The Black and Gold have additionally received six of their final seven residence playoff matches, successful the opposite in a penalty shoot-out (vs. Philadelphia Union within the 2022 MLS Cup Closing). The final visiting staff to beat LAFC in a playoff match was the Sounders within the 2019 Western Convention Closing.
Seattle superior after beating the Dynamo on penalties after a 1-1 attract Houston in Sport 2 of their first spherical collection. The Sounders have received solely considered one of their final six highway playoff matches (D1 L4) relationship again to the 2017 MLS Cup Closing, however that win was away to LAFC within the 2019 Western Convention Closing.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC – 49.5%
Draw – 25.4%
Seattle Sounders – 25.1%
