Instant takeaways from LAFC vs. Seattle Sounders

LOS ANGELES – It wasn't a playoff game, but the atmosphere in the stands and the intensity on the field proved to be worthy of one.

Under the Friday night lights in Downtown L.A., Supporters' Shield leaders LAFC pulled off a comeback 2-1 win against the current Concacaf Champions League winners Seattle Sounders. Goals from Kwadwo Opoku and Carlos Vela offset the opening goal in the first half, an own goal from LAFC defender Jesus Murillo.

All three of LAFC's newest signings, Giorgio Chiellini, Gareth Bale, and Sebastian Mendez, made their home debuts with the club. The Black & Gold earned its fourth consecutive victory and remained at the top of the MLS standings, climbing to 48 points. As the team continues to get healthier, this game also saw the return of Young Designated Player Brian Rodriguez to the field for the first time since June 26. 

Chiellini wins over hearts, almost brings the house down

Cheers from the stands normally come when a goal is scored. On Friday night, the loudest cheers came for Chiellini's defensive efforts. Every tackle, every challenge, and every clearance was celebrated by the LAFC faithful as Chiellini's impact on the field has instantly made him a fan favorite. The Italian's elite positioning on the field allows him to anticipate passes from the opponent and his impressive passing ability to play out of the back has been one of the biggest attributes that he has brought over to LAFC. 

"His first half performance was more than good, it was excellent," said Cherundolo. "He didn't make a mistake." He also praised Chiellini's ability to anticipate and push the tempo forward when in possession of the ball.

With former Juventus teammates in the stands, Chiellini wanted to give them a show. In the 37th minute, dribbling through the midfield all the way to the top of the opponent's box, Chiellini almost brought the house down when his long-distance strike missed the goal by inches. That would've gone down as one of the loudest goal celebrations in LAFC history had he converted. 

Slowly building up his fitness, Chiellini has gone from playing 45 and 60 minutes to more than 70 minutes against the Sounders as he exited the pitch to a standing ovation from the home fans. "We don't want to risk anything because he's in a great spot physically, but every minute he was on the field he didn't miss a beat," said Cherundolo. "We are very pleased with Giorgio."

Unforced errors in transition

Even with all their offensive power, all the wins, and all the glamourous signings, this team has its weaknesses. One of the areas of improvement that head coach Steve Cherundolo has pinpointed since the start of the season has been in transition, both offensively and defensively. LAFC was punished for its mishaps early in the match when an unforced turnover in the team's half led to a Murillo own goal in the 13th minute.

After the defense cleared the ball out of its box, Latif Blessing failed to deal with the rebound with incoming pressure from Seattle's Cristian Roldan. The USMNT midfielder dribbled past two defenders and his attempted cross deflected off Murillo and into Maxime Crepeau's net. The transition game has been an issue for LAFC since the Bob Bradley days and although there has been some improvement under Cherundolo, there is still work to be done. "Our passing and our decision making was a bit sloppy and erratic," said Cherundolo to the media after the match.

Opoku shines 

When opponent defenses are drawing up defensive game plans against LAFC, they normally focus on names like Vela and Arango. The primary beneficiary of that situation has been Opoku. Scoring his fifth goal of the season in the 35th minute with a left-footed shot from outside the box, the 21-year-old was brilliant for LAFC in the first half. His pressing against Seattle made it difficult for the Sounders to play comfortably out of the back and his mobility in the attack has earned him quality minutes under Cherundolo.

"Mahala's found the back of the net this season," said Cherundolo. "He's putting himself in scoring positions due to his off-ball running."

Once Bale gets up to speed, one would assume he would be a regular feature in the starting lineup for LAFC but until that moment comes, Opoku is making the most of his opportunities by putting in the work on the field. Early in the second half, Opoku had the opportunity to get his second after an excellent run with the ball inside the box but his left-footed shot trickled to the side of the post. Opoku was replaced in the 72nd minute by Rodriguez, but his stamp on the match was more than inked.

"He is on a journey," said Cherundolo about Opoku. "It's a positive curve and we are trying to keep it that way."