An Immense July 

*Updated as of 7/27

Only twice in its history has LAFC played eight games in a single month. The last time it happened, in May 2023, LAFC was marching toward its second appearance in the Concacaf Champions Cup final, mixing those games with a rigorous MLS regular-season schedule and two U.S. Open Cup matches. LAFC went 3W-3L-2D in those eight contests on its way to playing an MLS-record 53 games across all competitions in a single calendar year.

This month, LAFC dives into a similar cauldron when it plays eight games across three different competitions, with an average of just 2.7 rest days between matches.

LAFC’s challenging July kicks off with a two-week stretch in which the Black & Gold will meet two teams it’s currently battling atop the Western Conference standings (Galaxy and RSL) and the defending MLS Cup champions (Columbus Crew). Sandwiched between those three games is a tilt that could propel LAFC into the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup, the oldest soccer competition in the country.

After that comes an MLS rivalry match in Seattle, then the Black & Gold closes out the month with two group stage matches in Leagues Cup, the annual clash between Major League Soccer’s clubs and those in Mexico’s Liga MX. Oh, and on July 24 the MLS All Stars will face Liga MX’s All Stars. (LAFC forward Denis Bouanga, who would play a 90-minute match every day if no one stopped him, and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris will be in Columbus, Ohio, for that one.)

Following LAFC’s 6-2 win over San Jose on June 22, LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said of the daunting days ahead: “It's a difficult stretch, not just for us, for all the teams … We understand going through last year with a lot of games, how to manage our load in training and the games and rotations. I think we have a good road map there from last year. But staying healthy is everything, and we'll be smart with our rotations and subs in those congested periods to make sure we do stay healthy and have enough fresh legs on the field to get results.”

Continue to check this piece as we track LAFC's blistering July:

THU. JULY 4
@ GALAXY AT ROSE BOWL
2-1 W

The 2023 installment of MLS’ best rivalry was contested at the Rose Bowl for the first time and produced the largest crowd in league history (82,110). The heightened stakes of this year’s Rose Bowl clash — these two sides have lived near the top of the Western Conference all season — could see that record get broken. Although LAFC is 22 years younger than the Galaxy, the Black & Gold holds an 8W-7L-5D advantage in MLS play, including two playoff wins.

No better way to start this grueling stretch than by beating your archrival on the Fourth of July before 70,076 fans in the nation's most scenic stadium. Let's watch Air Kei do his thing again shall we?

SUN. JULY 7
@ HOUSTON DYNAMO
POSTPONED

A rematch of last year’s Western Conference final (won by LAFC 2-0), this night game in the south Texas heat will feature two rivals who have produced epic clashes over the last six years. This year’s Dynamo went unbeaten in June and would make the MLS Cup playoffs if the season ended today.

The matched was postponed due to consistent inclement weather and will now be played Saturday, Sept. 7 at 5:30 p.m. PT.

WED. JULY 10
VS. NEW MEXICO UNITED (U.S. OPEN CUP)
3-1 W

With a victory at BMO Stadium over New Mexico United of the USL Championship, LAFC would advance to the U.S. Open Cup semifinals for the second time in club history. The Black & Gold will not underestimate the Black and Yellow, who are in first place in USLC’s Western Conference.

It's off to the Open Cup Semifinals for the Black & Gold after a solid 3-1 win against an organized and talented New Mexico United at BMO Stadium. The Seattle Sounders await in the next round, which is scheduled for late August - dates, times and ticketing info for the battle in Seattle will be announced in the coming week.

SAT. JULY 13
VS. COLUMBUS CREW
1-5 L

On a rainy night in Ohio last December, the Crew prevented LAFC from winning its second MLS Cup title by winning Columbus’ third. Now this growing rivalry shifts to Los Angeles. Back in May 2022, the first time LAFC played eight games in one month, the Crew came to LA and fell 2-0. LAFC went 4W-3L-1D that month on its way to earning the star above its crest.

LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead may have said it best in the aftermath of the Black & Gold's first home loss of the season, "It's never a good feeling to lose. But, I've been in the league too long to know, it really depends on how we respond from this. This result can mean so little; it can mean a lot if we respond the wrong way and it can mean so little if we respond the right way. So, I think you'll see a group that's ready to respond." They'll get their chance in short order when Real Salt Lake comes calling this Wednesday for a top-of-the-table clash to determine who's in the driver's seat of the Western Conference.

WED. JULY 17
VS. REAL SALT LAKE
1-1 D

Storylines abound here. Two teams, tied on points atop the conference standings, engage in a rematch of the infamous snow game of March 2, 2024 (a 3-0 RSL win). Real Salt Lake, who have sat atop the West for most of this season, saw its 15-game unbeaten streak end on June 22. LAFC just saw its own double-digit undefeated streak end. Both sides will be eager to start another.

A gentlemen's draw leaves both clubs in second place in the three-horse race for first in the Western Conference. The bright spot on the field was Cristian Olivera's return from helping Uruguay reach the Copa América semifinals and scoring an opportunistic goal just five minutes into the action. Off the field, LAFC debuted its new 70's themed Archive Collection, including the club's first ever third kit.

SAT. JULY 20
@ SEATTLE SOUNDERS
3-0 W

These two rivals have earned more points than any other teams in the Western Conference since LAFC entered MLS in 2018. During the 2023 conference semifinal in Seattle, Bouanga’s 30th-minute breakaway goal gave LAFC a 1-0 win and ended the Sounders’ 19-game unbeaten streak in playoff home games, raising the temperature of this already heated biannual grudge match. LAFC defeated the Sounders 2-1 in both teams’ 2024 season opener.

LAFC collected its fifth road win of the MLS season, defeating the Sounders 3-0 behind two goals from Bouanga, which bookended a 22-yard volley from Bogusz. The convincing victory in LAFC's final match before the Leagues Cup break, gave the Black & Gold a firm grip on second place in the Western Conference, with two games in hand compared to points leaders, the Galaxy. “Very pleased with the performance tonight," Cherundolo said. "Much improved from the last two performances, and we would love to build on this and move forward.”

FRI. JULY 26
VS. CLUB TIJUANA (LEAGUES CUP)
3-0 W

One of Liga MX’s youngest teams makes the 140-mile trip north to face one of MLS’ youngest teams, in Leagues Cup, the World-Cup-style tournament for which both leagues pause their regular-season schedules to determine a champion. Club Tijuana – known as the Xoloitzcuintles, or Xolos, after a hairless breed of dog – have struggled thus far in 2024, but have won two Mexican trophies since they were founded in 2007.

The Black & Gold opened its Leagues Cup 2024 account with a massive deposit (and a second consecutive 3-0 win across all comps). Denis Bouanga continues to be the straw that stirs LAFC's scintilating offensive cocktail, recording a goal and two assists against Xolos. With Christian Olivera also providing goals since his return from Copa América (two goals and one assist vs. Tijuana), the Black & Gold remain one of the most formidable teams on either side of the Rio Grande.

TUE. JULY 30
7:30 pm PT
VS. VANCOUVER WHITECAPS (LEAGUES CUP)

The other opponent in LAFC’s Leagues Cup group resides just over the United States’ other border to the north – and these two clubs know each other well. LAFC played Vancouver an eye-opening six times in 2023, across three competitions, with LAFC going 4W-1L-1D in those games, including a two-game sweep in the MLS Cup playoffs. LAFC kept that run going with a 3-0 win over the Whitecaps at BMO Stadium in May.