After another tumultuous end to a match, Atlanta United will travel to LAFC for their toughest test of the season.
Matchday 17 Preview: Los Angeles Football Club
Reigning MLS Cup champions LAFC have started the 2023 season with no sign of a championship hangover. In 12 games played, they have seven wins, four draws and just one loss. They also progressed to the final of the CONCACAF Champions League (CCL).
The game was originally scheduled for June 3rd. LAFC’s MLS fixtures have been rearranged frequently this season due to their progress in the CCL.
Top Performers
LAFC’s successes this season begins with their league leading offense. Highlighted by Denis Bouanga, they have scored 23 goals this season, 1.9 goals per match. Bouanga is the league’s top scorer with 10 goals. He also led the CCL with seven goals. His form places him in the catbird seat of the MVP race.
Carlos Vela has also been a consistent cog in the attack. He has tallied four goals and four assists. The front three has commonly been rounded out by Kwadwo Opoku. Opoku has added two goals and an assist.
The midfield trio has also remained consistent in recent weeks. It consists of Jose Cifuentes, Ilie Sánchez, and Timothy Tillman. The most effective going forward has been Cifuentes with 15 chances created, 3 big chances created. Kellyn Acosta has also featured frequently in midfield. He started the second leg of the CCL finals after being out since May 13th with an injury.
The LAFC backline has also been consistent this season. That continuity has led to great defensive success. Only 10 goals have been conceded this season. That success comes without Giorgio Chiellini who has been sidelined with an injury. However, Chiellini returned from his injury as well, starting in the second leg of the CCL finals like Acosta.
Denil Maldonado, Aaron Long, and Jesús Murillo have also featured in the center back pairing. The full back pairing has frequently consisted of Diego Palacios and Ryan Hollingshead.
Goalkeeping has also been proficient for LAFC. John McCarthy has featured in 10/12 league matches and each of the CCL matches. In the league, he has conceded just 9 goals, tallying 4 clean sheets. His 40% clean sheet percentage ranks 4th in the league.
CONCACAF Champions League
The unknown is the strength of the lineup that will be rolled out by LAFC or the system they will deploy. They rolled out a 3-back/5-back formation in their latest match. This match comes just three days after the second leg of the CCL final. In that match, Long suffered a head injury/severe cut. He may be set to miss this match in addition to Sergi Palencia who was substituted with a potential injury. LAFC will play their third game in seven days, three days after the Atlanta match, traveling to Houston.
Atlanta United
Atlanta United’s previous match against New England Revolution was a microcosm of the good, the bad, and the ugly so far this season.
They completely controlled the game with upwards of 80% of possession at certain points in the match. A total of 624 passes were completed with 88% accuracy. Their league leading offense was fully on display scoring three goals on 20 shots. Giorgos Giakoumakis and Thiago Almada were in dazzling form, each scoring a goal.
The highest of highs were equaled by the lowest of lows. Seconds into the game, a mistake from Brad Guzan led to Carles Gil opening the scoring. After being dominated for 36 minutes afterwards, New England scored again, digging Atlanta into a deeper hole. Following the first half woes, Atlanta battled back to take a 3-2 lead with mere minutes left in the game. As they have all season, they squandered the lead and their performance, conceding an equalizer in the 3rd minute of extra time.
Player Availability
These issues have persisted for weeks leading to them moving the wrong way in the table. Player availability has factored into that, but that issue has remedied itself in recent weeks. After being cautious with his recovery, Giakoumakis started his first game since April. He played 84 minutes and is set to be released for the international period.
In his pre-match press conference before the New England match, Gonzalo Pineda said that Amar Sejdic and Ozzie Alonso were a week away from being healthy enough for contention. It was announced late last week that Alonso would have his return to action featuring for the second team in their match against Inter Miami II. He began the match on the bench before entering in the 63rd minute of the second half. Caleb Wiley is also set to return after his stint with the USYNT at the U-20 FIFA World Cup. With their returns, Erik Lopez is the only player unavailable, due to injury.
International Implications
With the team in good health, the LAFC match presents an interesting opportunity for Atlanta. This match is followed by another cross-country trip, this time to D.C., then an international window. Following the international window, the CONCACAF Gold Cup will kick off. According to Pineda, Atlanta’s form and momentum dropped after the season’s first international break, so gathering points is necessary before they venture into the unknown.
Match Information
Atlanta United (6-6-4) vs Los Angeles Football Club (7-4-1)
- When: June 7th, 9:30 ET
- Where: BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, California
- How to Watch: MLS Season Pass – Apple TV+
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