Late Saturday night, ahead of a historic matchup against the Galaxy, LAFC returned to Los Angeles from its scoreless draw in Houston, its eyes set on the final eight games of the MLS regular season.
None looms bigger than this next one.
LAFC’s match in Carson against its southern California rival (Sat. Sept. 14, 7:30 p.m. PT; MLS Season Pass on Apple TV) stands as the highest-stakes regular-season match in the derby’s seven-year history. For the first time ever, the two clubs will meet in the second half of the season boasting the two best records in the Western Conference and a Top 5 ranking in the Supporters’ Shield race. The Galaxy have 52 points to LAFC’s 48—with the Black & Gold having played two fewer games.
LAFC forward Nathan Ordaz said that his team’s mentality this week is simple. “To win. Every single week it's to win. That's what we're going to always try and do to the best of our abilities. I know it's a rival match. So we're going to – I don't know if we're gonna try harder but we're going to try our best to win, like always.”
Aside from local bragging rights, Saturday’s victor will have the inside lane in the race for the Western Conference’s top seed in the upcoming Audi MLS Cup Playoffs. When the regular-season ends on Decision Day, October 19 – just five weeks away – that number one seed will have clinched home-field advantage in a Round One Best-of-3 Series against the lowest seed (8). The second, third, and fourth seeds will also have home-field advantage in their opening playoff series; in the ensuing rounds the higher seeded team will always play at home.
In short, finishing first in the Western Conference could ensure home games throughout the playoffs, including in the MLS Cup Final. That’s the path LAFC took when it won it all in 2022.
Neither LAFC nor the Galaxy has an easy route to that first seed.
The Galaxy have six games left. Three are at home. Five of those six games are against teams currently in the West’s Top 8.
LAFC has eight remaining regular-season games. Three are at home; only two are against Top 8 teams in the West. But the Black & Gold faces powerful FC Cincinnati (second place in the East) in a marquee road tilt on Sept. 28, right after taking on Sporting KC in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Sept. 25.
THE UPPER HAND
Despite the Galaxy’s current position atop the West, LAFC has won three straight over the Galaxy in MLS play, and six of the last seven—including MLS playoffs. No team had ever accomplished either of those feats until their most recent meeting, when LAFC defeated the Galaxy on July 4 at the Rose Bowl.
The tipping point came after May 25, 2022, when the Galaxy beat LAFC in Carson, 3-1, to take a 7W-3L-5D lead in the series, in all competitions. After LAFC’s two-year surge, the overall series now stands tied, 9W-9L-5D.
When LAFC defeated the Galaxy two months ago in Pasadena, Kevin Baxter of the Los Angeles Times asked LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo whether the Galaxy’s on-field success this season has rekindled an already intense rivalry. “It used to be that they were down and you guys were way up,” Baxter said.
“Yeah, I think it does change a little bit,” Cherundolo replied. “Looking from the outside looking in is really difficult, but it looked to me as if the Galaxy players had something today to lose. They were not the underdogs today. And that is different. That's a different burden.”
THE RETURN
The six LAFC players who left the U.S. last week to compete for their home countries are expected to be available to face the Galaxy on Saturday. The respective national teams of Denis Bouanga (Gabon), Mateusz Bogusz (Poland), Omar Campos (Mexico U-23), Maxime Chanot (Luxembourg), David Martínez (Venezuela), and Cristian Olivera (Uruguay) each had a two-game schedule during the FIFA International Break. The results:
Morocco 4-1 Gabon – Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier
(Bouanga played but didn't score)
Luxembourg 0-2 N. Ireland – UEFA Nations League Group Play
(Chanot DNP – card suspension)
Scotland 2-3 Poland – UEFA Nations League Group Play
(Bogusz DNP)
Bolivia 4-0 Venezuela – World Cup qualifier
(Martínez DNP)
Mexico U-23 4-1 Panama U-23 – friendly
(Campos started)
Uruguay 0-0 Paraguay - World Cup qualifier
(Olivera came on at 59')
Poland 0-1 Croatia – UEFA Nations League Group Play
(Bogusz started at forward alongside Robert Lewandowski)
Mexico U-23 2-1 Panama U-23 – friendly
(Campos played the entire second half in Mexico’s comeback win)
Luxembourg 0-1 Belarus – UEFA Nations League Group Play
(Chanot started and played all 90 minutes)
Gabon 2-0 Central African Republic – Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualifier
(Bouanga went all 90 mins. in an important Group A matchup)
Venezuela 0-0 Uruguay - World Cup qualifier
(Martínez's side drew with favored Uruguay as Olivera went all 90 mins.)
LAFC faces the Galaxy on Saturday, September 14, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, CA. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 710 AM ESPN LA, ESPN LA app, 980 AM La Mera Mera).
