LAFC vs Philadelphia Union
Concacaf Champions League Semifinal Leg 2
Tuesday, May 2 at 7:00pm PT
Location: BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, California
TV: FS1, TUDN
LAFC and the Philadelphia Union played to a thrilling 1-1 draw in the first leg of the Concacaf Champions League semifinals on Wednesday, April 26 at Subaru Park. The Clubs meet on Tuesday, May 2 at BMO Stadium with a spot in the CCL final on the line.
The Black & Gold walked away with a crucial away goal after a Kellyn Acosta goal in stoppage time leveled the game with only couple minutes left in the game. This is the fifth straight draw between the two Clubs dating back to 2019.
The Union return to BMO Stadium for the first time since the thrilling 2022 MLS Cup Final, in which LAFC came out victorious in penalty kicks.
The winner will face off either against either Tigres UANL or Club León of Liga MX in the CCL final, with Tigres currently having a 2-1 edge going into their second leg matchup.
UNION IN-DEPTH
Led by head coach Jim Curtin, the Union have been one of the top teams in Major League Soccer for several years and are now looking for revenge as LAFC beat out the Club for both the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup in 2022.
The Union are off to a slow start for them in MLS league play with a 3-4-2 record, but have had a successful CCL showing thus far.
The trio of Dániel Gazdag (three goals), Andrés Perea (two goals), and Julián Carranza (two goals) have accounted for seven out of the eight goals scored by the Union in CCL.
LAFC WILL WIN IF
They can continue the dominance of playing in their fortress of BMO Stadium. The Black & Gold have the away goal tie-breaker in their favor, but need to score a couple goals to ensure their spot in the CCL final.
The LAFC backline will need to play a near perfect game to ensure the away goal advantage does not swing into the Union’s favor.
UNION CAN WIN IF
They can catch LAFC off guard early. The Union have proven they can score at BMO Stadium at any given moment and will once again attempt to put the pressure on LAFC early. The Union always look to press heavily, while clogging the middle of the field trying to make sure LAFC is not able to add on to the aggregate.
