LOS ANGELES, Calif. — After a winless three-game road trip, LAFC is back home to take on Real Salt Lake this Sunday in what could potentially be Denis Bouanga's debut at Banc of California Stadium.
This will mark the second meeting this season between both clubs as LAFC came out on top with a 4-1 victory just a few weeks ago. Bouanga had just been signed so he did not take part in that match, but on Sunday, the Gabon international will be ready to add to his 20-minute cameo performance against Houston.
With the Supporters Shield race tightening up alongside the Philadephia Union, a positive result and a convincing performance against RSL will certainly restore confidence within the Black & Gold during the final stretch of the regular season.
Let's get into the preview.
Kickoff
7:38 pm PT at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif.
How to watch
The match will be locally televised live on KCOP13 with commentary from Max Bretos and Heath Pearce. A Spanish-language broadcast will also be locally televised on Estrella 62 with commentary from Francisco X. Rivera and Claudio Suarez. Everywhere else, the match will be streamed on MLS LIVE on the ESPN+ app.
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: 18W-7L-3D (57 points, 1st in Western Conference, 1st in the Supporters' Shield race), Real Salt Lake: 11W-8L-9D (42 points, 6th in Western Conference, 11th in Shield race)
Last time out
The Black & Gold is coming off its third consecutive defeat, a 2-1 loss on the road to Houston Dynamo FC on Wednesday night. Cristian Arango scored the lone goal for LAFC to extend his total to 14 goals on the season. Real Salt Lake had a midweek game of its own and came away with a crucial three points against conference rival Minnesota United in a convincing 3-0 win at home. Goals from Sergio Cordova, Jefferson Savarino, and Anderson Julio lifted RSL past MUFC to extend the club's unbeaten streak to four games.
Injury report
LAFC: Out — Kellyn Acosta (yellow card accumulation), Franco Escobar (concussion); QUESTIONABLE — N/A
Real Salt Lake: Out — Damir Kreilach (back), Justen Glad (yellow card accumulation), Jasper Löffelsend (yellow card accumulation); QUESTIONABLE — Bobby Wood (abductor), Danny Musovski (hamstring), Pablo Ruiz (torso)
PROJECTED LINEUPS
LAFC
(4-3-3, right to left) Maxime Crepeau; Ryan Hollingshead, Jesus Murillo, Giorgio Chiellini, Diego Palacios; Ilie Sanchez, Sebastian Mendez, Jose Cifuentes; Carlos Vela, Cristian Arango, Kwadwo Opoku,
Real Salt Lake
(4-4-2): Zac Macmath; Aaron Herrera, Johan Kappelhof, Marcelo Silva, Andrew Brody; Pablo Ruiz, Scott Caldwell, Maikel Chang, Justin Meram; Jefferson Savarino, Sergio Cordova
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC: Cristian Arango, forward
A bull on the field, Arango sees red when he faces RSL. The Colombian striker has faced the Claret-and-Cobalt twice since he joined MLS in August 2021 and scored a brace on both occasions. Over the past 15 games, Arango has registered an impressive 12 goals and leads the team in goal contributions (19). LAFC's leading scorer (14) is the clear number one option in the attack, even with someone like Bale or Vela.
The 27-year-old helps out defensively, being the first line of defense in LAFC's high-press system and winning his duels with opposing defenders. Arango displays a good understanding on the field with the likes of Vela, Opoku, and most recently Bale, so it will be interesting to see what the chemistry between him and newcomer Bouanga is like as the team approaches the playoffs.
Real Salt Lake: Sergio Cordova
A versatile attacker with experience in the Bundesliga, Cordova has been excellent for Real Salt Lake since joining on loan from FC Augsburg in February. The Venezuelan international leads RSL with eight goals in 2022 and is currently on a hot streak, scoring in four of the team's last five games. In fact, LAFC already got a taste of Cordova when "La Pantera" scored the lone goal for RSL against the Black & Gold a few weeks ago.
The 25-year-old is a versatile attacker, whose intelligence on the ball and lethal finishing allows him to create his own scoring chances. Cordova's physical presence in the final third will cause problems for LAFC if given space and time, so the Black & Gold will need to be very mindful of Cordova's movements and aware of his positioning in RSL's attack.
Key matchup: Carlos Vela vs. Andrew Brody
The stats won't tell you this but Vela has been one of the better-performing players this season for LAFC. Although the team captain has eight goals to his name, Vela's playmaking has earned him acclaim in his fifth season with the Black & Gold. The former Mexican international has registered 10 assists in 2022 and with speedy attackers like Opoku and Bouanga to get on the end of his passes, that number may increase. The 33-year-old has already established good chemistry on the field with Arango, so the next step is for Vela and Bouanga to start combining for goals and that could begin as soon as Sunday night.
Lined up against Vela will be Brody, Real Salt Lake's Homegrown left back, who's locked down the position under head coach Pablo Mastroeni. In fact, he's one of two field players that have played in every match this season. Brody's primary duties involve defending, but his offensive production of two goals and five assists is nothing to be shy about. The 27-year-old leads the team in accurate forward zone passes and is very involved in RSL's buildup from the left side. Will Vela track back to help in defense when Brody gallops up the field or will LAFC's star man keep Brody occupied defensively and attack the right side with numbers? We will find out on Sunday.
FOR THE WIN: Defend the Banc
Historically, LAFC has dominated the head-to-head meetings between the two sides (9W-2L-0D). The Black & Gold has five straight wins against RSL and has scored at least three goals in three of those victories.
LAFC holds one of the best home records in MLS at home (11W-1L-2D) and except for the first-round playoff defeat in 2018, the Black & Gold has won all four matches when hosting RSL. With Bouanga possibly getting his first minutes at the Banc and the club riding a three-game losing streak, it's the perfect situation for a bounce-back game on Sunday night.