Any match between LAFC and the Seattle Sounders brings an extra sense of anticipation and excitement based on their history. LAFC's first-ever match during its inaugural season was in Seattle, and the club's first-ever home game at Banc of California Stadium was also against Seattle. However, their biggest match came in the 2019 Western Conference Final when the Sounders eliminated the Supporters' Shield-winning, record-breaking LAFC squad.
Friday night promises another compeitive contest between the rivals. LAFC, currently in the Supporters' Shield lead, will host the 2022 Concacaf Champions League winners — currently out of the MLS playoff places. LAFC will seek to extend its winning streak to four games for the first time since historoic 2019 season.
"It will be a nice setup," said LAFC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau. "I mean it's Banc of California Stadium, 8 pm kickoff, Friday night. It's a perfect layout."
Friday's match will also serve as the first opportunity to see Giorgio Chiellini, Gareth Bale, and Sebastian Mendez make their home debuts, with at least one of them potentially in in the starting lineup.
"He's getting better," LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said about Bale's probability to see an increase in playing time. "We are constantly improving him. He'll be in a position to add minutes to what we saw last week, but at a healthy pace and not too much too soon."
There are still plenty of games left to be played during the regular season, after all. Given the team's current position in the standings and Bale still being in "preseason" mode, there's no rush to get him on the field for 90 minutes.
Cherundolo also mentioned Mendez's ability to adapt to the team's style of play so far, and with Kellyn Acosta out due to yellow card accumulation, Mendez could make his first start for the Black & Gold.
"In training this week, he's been fantastic," Cherundolo said about Mendez. "It's incredible to see how fast he's learned our system and be able to put his own stamp on it. I think moving forward, we'll see a lot more of Seba to be a big contributor for this group."
Although he did not state who will start in place of Acosta, Cherundolo is very confident that whether it's Mendez or Blessing, the midfield is covered.
"It's a portion of our team that is in a very good position and very solid. Who will start? We'll see Friday," said Cherundolo. "Both Seba and Latif are great players and both can jump in right away and help this team win."
Let's get into the preview.
Kickoff
8:15 p.m. PT at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.
How to watch
The match will be nationally televised live in English on FS1, with commentary from John Strong and Stu Holden. A Spanish-language broadcast featuring John Laguna and Mariano Trujillo will be available on FOX Deportes.
How to listen
You can hear an English-language broadcast of the match voiced by sports radio veteran Dave Denholm on 710 AM ESPN and on the ESPN LA App. In Spanish, the broadcast featuring long-time ESPN Deportes host Armando Aguayo will be heard on KFWB 980, 'La Mera Mera.'
Records
LAFC: 14W-4L-3D (45 points, 1st in Western Conference), Seattle Sounders: 9W-10L-2D (29 points, 9th in Western Conference)
Last time out
LAFC is coming off its third consecutive victory, a 2-0 road win in Kansas City on Saturday. Second-half goals from Cristian Arango and Gareth Bale, who scored his first goal for the club after coming on as a substitute, delivered the win. The Sounders were able to overcome a one-goal deficit and a Kelyn Rowe red card early in the second half against the Colorado Rapids, earning a comeback 2-1 win with goals from Jordan Morris and Nicolas Lodeiro at Lumen Field.
Injury report
LAFC: Out — Kellyn Acosta (yellow card accumulation) Danny Musovski (left leg), Julian Gaines (pelvis), Ismael Tajouri-Shradi (left leg)
Seattle: Out — Kelyn Rowe (suspension), Joao Paulo (right MCL tear), Obed Vargas (low-back stress fracture); Questionable — Raul Ruidiaz (hamstring)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
LAFC (4-3-3, right to left): Maxime Crepeau; Franco Escobar, Jesus Murillo, Giorgio Chiellini, Diego Palacios; Ilie Sanchez, Latif Blessing, Jose Cifuentes; Carlos Vela, Gareth Bale, Cristian Arango
SEA (4-2-3-1): Stefan Frei; Alex Roldan, Yeimar Andrade, Xavier Arreaga, Nohou Tolo; Christian Roldan, Albert Rusnak; Jordan Morris, Nicolas Lodeiro, Jimmy Medranda; Will Bruin
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC: Cristian Arango, forward - The man can't stop scoring; he has a goal in seven of his last eight games played, Arango's hard work on the training ground has translated into success on the field. "He's a great player," team captain Carlos Vela said about Arango. "We're very happy with his work and we hope he continues to work the way he has been until now because he is a very important player for us." Arango's ability to score is evident, but Cherundolo wants to make his striker a more complete player and that starts on the defensive side with the press. Although still working on that part of his game, Arango's excellent ability to play with his back to goal, hold the ball, and pick out the correct pass in transition, like he did for Bale's goal last week, ably illustrates Arango's evolution this season.
Looking to score for the fourth consecutive match, Arango will face one of the top defenses in the league in Seattle, a team he already scored against earlier this season in the 1-1 draw between the teams back in mid-June. There's a possibility we see extended minutes from the Vela-Arango-Bale attacking trio this Friday, a scenario I am personally interested in seeing. In particular, I'm interested in the different movements on the field from all three attackers both with and off the ball.
Seattle Sounders: Jordan Morris, forward - There is no question that Morris wants to be on the plane to Qatar with the USMNT. After a lost season in 2021 due to an ACL injury, the 27-year-old is back on track this year with the Sounders and leads the team in goals with six. Morris has been able to stay healthy and with Ruidiaz out due to injury for most of this season, it has been Morris leading Seattle's attack as his goals have earned his team a total of 10 points in 2022, the difference between being one point under the playoff line and last place in the Western Conference.
Coming off one of his best performances this season last week against the Colorado Rapids, Morris has improved his passing, decision-making, and overall effectiveness around the goal. His shot selection shows a major upgrade in comparison to previous years, as 59% of his shots this season have been on target. A major threat on the wings with his speed, Morris likes to play from outside to inside, so it will be up to LAFC's fullbacks and midfielders to keep track of his runs, especially in transition, an area of weakness for the Black & Gold.
Key matchup: Giorgio Chiellini vs. Nicolas Lodeiro
A fun fact about these two. Chiellini and Lodeiro faced off in the 2014 World Cup group stage match between Italy and Uruguay, a game that Uruguay won 1-0. Eight years later, they meet again in MLS. Chiellini has only made two appearances for LAFC since joining the club this summer but has made an immediate impact on the team already and Cherundolo has seen the improvements defensively.
"I think anticipating the play and also in the buildup. Those are two of his strongest attributes," Cherundolo assessed, regarding what Chiellini brings to the team. I've talked about it a couple of times already in previous articles. Chiellini's passing ability to play out of the back in a controlled manner helps LAFC tremendously and it will be up to Lodeiro and company to disrupt and delay the buildup through the press.
The current Sounders team leader in goal contributions with 10 (four goals and six assists), Lodeiro is a very dangerous player on the ball when given time and space. Even at 33 years old, the Uruguayan's vision and precise passing can hurt any opponent in transition but also on set pieces. Lodeiro's 84% passing accuracy this season is his best since joining the Sounders in 2016. After having only played nine games last year due to injury, Lodeiro has been able to stay healthy in 2022 and led the team to the CCL title earlier in the year. Chiellini will be keeping a very close eye on Lodeiro's movement off the ball, and with his experience, will attempt to be one step ahead of Lodeiro. However, Seattle's No.10 is a veteran himself and will try to use his own wisdom to create scoring chances for his team against LAFC.
FOR THE WIN: Score first and defend The Banc
One of the most impressive stats of the season this year for LAFC has been the club's perfect record of 11-0-0 when scoring the first goal in a match. Cherundolo's ability to manage games after taking the lead with substitutions, tactical adjustments, and developing a well-balanced team on both sides of the field have been major factors in LAFC's success this season.
In regular season action, LAFC has an excellent home record of 4W-0L-1D against the Sounders, outscoring them 13-3 in the process. In 2022, LAFC has only lost once at The Banc and has one of the best home records in the league (8W-1L-2D), including winning its last four home matches. If LAFC is able to take the lead early, invite Seattle to chase the game, and finish the game off in transition, the victory is there for the taking. However, if the Black & Gold finds itself trailing, the game will open up for both sides and at that point, it's anyone's game for the taking.