By Justin Ruderman (@JSRFootball)
Heading into Columbus, LAFC had lost two straight and needed to find a way to bounce back. They had to wait a few extra hours for their chance due to multiple weather delays but eventually got what they came for. Head Coach Steve Cherundolo opted for a slightly rotated lineup with “El Trafico” in the U.S. Open Cup looming midweek. The most notable aspect was Mamadou Fall slotting in at right-back in LAFC’s classic 4-3-3. Caleb Porter, being out of the Cup, started his strongest lineup bar Derrick Etienne who came off the bench for the first time this season.
Match Summary
Once the game finally kicked off about four and a half hours after schedule, LAFC continued a season-long trend of starting slow. They nearly conceded in the first 10 minutes and could barely get a touch on the ball. The game then began to settle but it was clear that LAFC was getting dominated in midfield. Ginella was struggling in all aspects while Fall was still figuring out how to play fullback. When LAFC was able to win possession back, the only outlet was Chicho’s hold-up play in the center circle which was rather impressive, particularly in creating a chance for Opoku midway through the half, but it was not an effective attacking game plan. LAFC is normally a team that likes to dictate the game while playing through teams directly up the gut but when your opponent is dominating possession a change needs to be made. There are a couple of effective ways of doing so. First is attacking down the flanks, which is normally a strength of Diego Palacios on the left side, however, Fall was pushing higher up on the right the entire half. It was ineffective, to say the least. The second way is to break extremely quickly when you win possession such that you do not allow the opposition to find their defensive shape. This requires pace from a player like Brian Rodriguez who returned from injury and started on the bench. After a lackluster half from both sides with each missing a chance or two, Cherundolo went with the second option starting in the second half.
Cherundolo brought on Carlos Vela and Brian Rodriguez at halftime in place of Opoku and Musovski who had been unable to make a substantial impact. Once again this season, Dolo’s subs changed the game. While LAFC continued to concede possession more than any game this season, the directness with which the black and gold broke was the difference. I expected Rayito to bring explosive energy to the counter-attacks, but it was Vela that stood out. You need to look no further than his 62nd-minute opening goal in which he capitalized on an ill-advised Darlington Nagbe back pass, beating Josh Williams in a 1v1 sprint and bodying him off the ball before calmly slotting it home past Eloy Room. Vela has known for his glorious left-footed curlers, but this was just as impressive as a goal-winning physical 1v1 duel with a strong 6’2” center-back. LAFC fans haven’t seen a goal like Vela for a long time. It’s a fantastic sign for his fitness and mentality going forward. LAFC maintained the pressure following the goal and was rewarded just over ten minutes later when Chicho Arango made a timely tackle on another Nagbe mistake that allowed Jose Cifuentes to drive at goal. As cool as Vela in his goal, Cifu sat down Jonathan Mensa with a simple cut and passed it into the back of the net for a game-ending 2-0 LAFC lead. After the goal, LAFC retreated back into their bus and parked it in their own box for the rest of the game. In the three MLS meetings between these two teams, the aggregate score is now 7-0 LAFC. For one reason or another, LAFC has been dominant against the Crew in their first five years in MLS! LAFC now heads back to the city of angels with three points and the crucial bounce-back win ahead of a midweek derby!
Looking Good
The most impressive part of LAFC’s win today was the way in which they did it. Cherundolo channeled his inner Jose Mourinho with a pragmatic park-the-bus style in stark contrast to his preferred possession dominant tactical game plan. LAFC had the lowest possession all season with only 35% while barely providing any threat in the first half. Normally that would be extremely worrying for an LAFC team that likes to dictate the game but today that was exactly according to Steve Cherundolo’s plan. The coach showed his pleasure with winning in a new way as he smirked while explaining, “We had a little different tactical approach tonight…and it worked!” in his postgame press conference.
Cherundolo also has to be given credit for his astute substitutions. Once again, substitutes were responsible for both goals, making it ten goals scored by LAFC substitutes this season, double any other MLS side. Depth is a vital part of any MLS team looking to compete for trophies which is something Cherundolo understands well. He has had to deal with quite a few injuries to start the season but luckily nothing has been too serious with many players making their way back as Brian Rodriguez did today.
Areas for Improvement
First things first, Ginella needs to be sold. Pancho is a 23-year-old making nearly $600k/year who hasn’t produced a quality performance yet this season. He was clearly LAFC’s worst player on the day as he struggled to keep pace with the Columbus midfield while Sanchez, Ibeagha, and Murillo had to clean up for him all day. As the 7th highest-paid LAFC player, Ginella should be producing consistent impacts while playing at least as many minutes as Cifuentes, but instead, he only starts in rotation and is noticeably poor whenever he plays. One cheeky backheel flick against Minnesota isn’t worth half-a-million dollars.
Another right-back is needed. Escobar is the only true right-back on the roster for LAFC after selling Kim Moon-Hwan to Jeonbuk Hyundai which was worrying enough before his injury. Since Escobar went down, Cherundolo has experimented with Kellyn Acosta and Mamadou Fall as fullbacks but neither fit the position. Acosta is used to finding himself in the middle of the park connecting passes and progressing the ball. He’s not a particularly good 1v1 defender though he can provide a top-quality cross if he has the freedom to push forward. Fall on the other hand is an aerially dominant physical force meant to be a center-back. He’s not a talented ball carrier, crosser, or ball progressor outside of his ability to hit an impressive longball. He too needs to remain in his natural position. This situation is screaming for LAFC to bring in a new right-back, but it is the legendary center-back Giorgio Chiellini that looks likely to be brought in. Assuming that deal gets over the line, we may be seeing Fall as a fullback more and more.
Player Ratings
Crepeau – 8
Fall – 7
Murillo – 8.5
Ibeagha – 6.5
Palacios – 7.5
Ginella – 4.5
Sanchez – 8
Acosta – 7
Opoku – 5.5
Arango – 7
Musovski – 5
Vela – 8.5 (MOTM)
Rodriguez – 6.5
Cifuentes – 7
Crisostomo – 5.5
Henry – N/A