Apple TV commentators Keith Costigan and Maurice Edu have watched a lot of Major League Soccer games this season – and the pair has had front row seats calling numerous LAFC matches in 2024. With the duo on the call for LAFC’s Round One Best-of-3 Series against the Vancouver Whitecaps, Costigan and former U.S. National Team player Edu talked to LAFC.com about their thoughts on the series.
Q: LAFC and Vancouver have played each other a lot in the last few years - a total of nine times in all competitions in 2023 and 2024, with LAFC holding a 6-1-2 record and outscoring the Whitecaps by 13 goals. What can Vancouver do differently in this series?
KEITH COSTIGAN: Any time you play somebody over and over again, you kind of have a benchmark to aim for, like 'can we tweak this? What we are doing?' Because when you are winning like LAFC has been doing, you don’t really need to change anything. For Vancouver they can try different things – so if I’m LAFC, that would be one of the things I would be wondering about – what is their approach going to be? They are not going to approach it like they did the other games.
I’m looking at the Leagues Cup, where they led by two and LAFC came back late. I think Vancouver found a good balance, a better one than they did in the playoffs last year. That first game in the playoffs last year, they were trying to go toe-to-toe with LAFC and ultimately didn’t have the firepower that LAFC has. I think that ultimately, in my opinion they will be more measured in their approach in terms of picking the right times to go forward. I also think they are a better team than last year. This is a team that three or four weeks ago was fifth in the West. This is a team that slipped a bit at the end, but you could argue that they are better than a couple of teams that finished above them in the standings.
Q: Part of Vancouver being better than last year has to do with newcomer Stuart Armstrong. He is getting acclimated to the league after arriving in September and getting better and better every game. What have you seen from him and what do you think Vancouver needs from him in this series?
KEITH COSTIGAN: I think he gives you a really good player in those central areas, those midfield areas. He is good on the ball and he can join in the attack. We saw him be creative against Portland [in the Wild Card game]. Anytime you add good players who are a good level and have a good IQ, they tend to aclimatize quicker than other players. You saw immediately he had a understanding with [Ryan] Gauld and [Brian] White. I think we’ve always thought of Vancouver as relying on Gauld and White, and the thought was if you could stop those two you could get a result, now you’ve got Armstrong in central areas. If you look at his time in England he has got a decent goalscoring record as well, so all of a sudden he is a bit of an unknown player in this league and he is one more player that you have to be really, really aware of in the final third. Whether he is arriving in a deeper position or starting in the attack - they need him to be creative. If he doesn’t play well this series, I don’t think they have a chance; if he does, it makes the playing field a little bit level in this series.
Q: You have mentioned Ryan Gauld, and anyone who watches a lot of the Western Conference and Vancouver knows what kind of quality he has. But he is not always in the Best XI conversation after showing his talent in the Wild Card match vs. Portland. Why doesn’t Guald get that type of attention and what do you expect from him this series?
KEITH COSTIGAN: Yeah, I think first of all, let's be honest, he plays for Vancouver and they don’t always get as much publicity as other teams. It is as unfortunate as that. We saw his quality against Portland, the level of goals he scored. In talking to their coaching staff, they think he is one of the best 10’s in the league without the ball. You aren’t talking about the luxury number 10 who doesn’t do work without the ball, he is working hard and moving without the ball. I think he is right up there with the very best in the league at his position. He can be a match winner on his day and I would imagine that plays into his mindset as you go into playoffs and you see these end of season lists – the list of Best XI and things like that, I imagine he is looking at those lists and it is fuel for him to perform well.
Q: When you look at LAFC’s roster – is there anyone on the roster that you think is underappreciated, someone who plays a huge role in the success of the team but that people don’t always talk about?
MAURICE EDU: I would say Aaron Long and [Jesus] Murillo. I think internally there is a lot of appreciation and respect for what they bring to that backline. There might have been more whispers of Murillo’s name being whispered this season as a Defender of the Year candidate because he hasn’t had all the success that Aaron Long has already had. To me, the two of them prior to injures were excellent – that stretch of unbeaten games LAFC had and the clean sheet streak before the Leagues Cup Final – a lot of what LAFC wants to do with and without the ball and how they want to defend against the ball is dictated by those two being in the lineup. When those two are in the lineup together, it gives LAFC a different feel, a different level of confidence and it feels like it is a confidence that is infectious across the group as well.
I would actually throw [Sergi] Palencia into that mix as well, but those two with Hugo Lloris in goal, that spine – that central spine is integral to not only how LAFC defends but also how they start their attacks. There were so many games, so many crucial plays that Keith pointed out in the commentary where Aaron Long wins a ball defensively and with his first touch or his first pass, he makes a forward pass that breaks the line and leads to a goal. And those are small details, if you aren’t looking at that sometimes you miss that. You see the pass that leads to the goal but you miss the pass before the pass, and to me – when you talk to Steve [Cherundolo] and watch LAFC, that is a prime example of what he wants from his defenders. He wants guys who can obviously defend and play 1 v. 1 and cover ground and win duels, but as soon as they win the ball back, they have the presence of mind to be alert and aware of where their teammates are and play a forward pass that can now lead to something special.
KEITH COSTIGAN: I agree with Mo, I think Murillo would have been my Defender of the Year pick if not for injury. I voted for Aaron, but I do think the way LAFC plays those two are so important. I don’t know if he is still underappreciated, but also Ryan Hollingshead. I look back at this match-up last year and Ryan Hollingshead was the match-winner in the first game with a couple of goals on set pieces. I think Ryan is one of those players that if you asked every manager in the West, they would want him in their squad. He can play different roles at a top level he seems to come up big in big games. In this type of game against Vancouver, I think maybe he is unappreciated by people on the outside, but definitely not by people on the inside.
Q: Where do you see Vancouver having an advantage in this series?
KEITH COSTIGAN: I think set pieces. We’ve seen that in some of Vancouver’s games this year, they are really good on set pieces, in terms of scoring. I think it is an area where LAFC has not been quite as good on this season. I think that set pieces could be a strength for Vancouver.
MAURICE EDU: If I’m Vancouver and thinking about ways to motivate, I'm thinking about ways to encourage guys and getting the belief going, I would that they've come to LA on numerous occasions. It's an opponent that they're familiar with, but more so, they have come to LA and already have had decent games and decent performances. And now they didn't see out results in those game - you go back to the Leagues Cup game, they had a great start to the game, but then you allow LAFC to get back into the game. So I mean, it's a certain facet of the game, in terms of just having that level of belief and spirit. They know they have gone to the top of the West, the team that is top of the West and actually put together some decent performances and now it has to be in the back of their mind – how can they have the mentality to see out results and get victories and do the thing that has been so troubling for them and that is to beat LAFC in one of these competitions.
Q: Is there a match-up anywhere that you are looking forward to in this series or an area that you feel is key for Vancouver or LAFC to execute in to secure a victory?
MAURICE EDU: I would say for both teams that transition is important. I think beyond set pieces, transition is key because we know LAFC, it goes without saying the amount of goals and chances created and the pace at which they start transitions. The same can be said about Vancouver. With guys like Ryan Guald and his work rate without the ball, guys like Brian White and his ability to be a menace and attack defenders, whether he is pressuring them or causing them problems because of his movement off the ball and Fafa Picault the pace he brings on one side. As much as we celebrate and talk about the quality LAFC has going forward, Vancouver has some players that can also cause problems and then you add in the vision and ability of Stuart Armstrong and they are a team that can really be dangerous in transition moments.
KEITH COSTIGAN: I agree, if you look at the second game of the playoffs last year it was decided by one moment – Denis Bouanga in a 1-v-1 situation – you have to honor that if you are Vancouver. You have to have the ability to soak up pressure against LAFC and then be a threat in counter situations. I think it is the one thing that time and time again has separated LAFC in these matchups is how good they are in transition. If you want to win the series, you have to win that battle, and LAFC have been so good in transition recently. LAFC has been successful, making it to finals and winning and being number one in the west because of those transition moments.
MAURICE EDU: Because of that – a player for Vancouver to keep an eye on is Andres Cubas and his role as a defensive midfielder, which will be to put out fires and allow the others to get forward in transition moments. For LAFC, I’m looking at the aggressiveness of their center backs because at times, they are going to be in 1-v-1 situations.
Q: Denis Bouanga has been incredible once again in 2024, scoring 20 goals and leading the league in Expected Goals. He was not named a finalist for MVP this season, but is certainly the key for LAFC. What is your take on Bouanga’s sensational season?
KEITH COSTIGAN: It is weird when you get to the level that the expectations are just so high that people expect that kind of greatness all the time. I think people expect it from him. Just because we are used to it shouldn’t diminish what he has done. Personally I would have him on that MVP list over a few players. Every game he is a threat, even when he doesn’t score goals the opposition has to switch the way they play. We did a game in Austin, and the whole game plan was just to make sure Denis Bouanga wasn’t going to be the guy to beat them. I would have him in my top five for MVP finalists. Bouanga definitely belongs in that conversation. Almost a lack of appreciation for him at this point and not giving him credit for how difficult it is to do what he has consistently done.
MAURICE EDU: I would have had him on the list of finalists for MVP. This has been an incredibly competitive season for top performers around the league. Bouanga would be in my Best XI. LAFC is the best team in the West and he is the best player on the best team in the West. For me, this is another opportunity for Bouanga to show who he is, the playoffs are that time when heroes are made and celebrated and he has already lifted an MLS Cup and he will be hungry to do it again.
Q: What are your predictions for the MLS Cup match-up?
MAURICE EDU: It’s going to be Miami vs. LAFC. I am leaning on the home field advantage, I think Miami vs. Columbus will be the Eastern Conference Final and with just Miami being at home, I think that is going to be an incredible game if we get it. Then I think it will be El Trafico in the Western Conference final and again, the home field advantage to me is so key, and LAFC nipped it from the Galaxy at the end and secured home-field advantage throughout and that is going to be important.
KEITH COSTIGAN: I have LAFC and Inter Miami as well in the final. I think that if Murillo is able to come back into the lineup, he didn’t play against the Galaxy in the most recent El Trafico where LAFC looked lost in the second half. I think with him back LAFC will be able to defend the Galaxy better, so I think it is going to be LAFC vs. Inter Miami in the Final. It is hard to bet against Miami at home – but for LAFC, getting home field advantage at the last second is going to be beneficial for the playoffs again this year.
