On its last day at the Coachella Valley Invitational, LAFC defeated the Chicago Fire in a spirited friendly, 1-0, with Denis Bouanga providing the only goal on a second-half penalty kick.
The scrimmage wrapped up the defending U.S. Open Cup champions’ four-day stay in the Palm Springs area, where they trained on the field, bonded off it, and also engaged in a closed-door friendly against USL Championship side Phoenix Rising on Feb. 2.
Wednesday’s contest against the Fire was LAFC’s first and only match at the Coachella Valley Invitational, the now annual winter gathering of MLS and National Womens Soccer League (NWSL) teams preparing for their regular seasons.
“I think we view this tournament and this [visit to] Palm Springs a little differently than other organizations,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “We don't have to travel for preseason, but we do it for the matches and for some team bonding. So the three objectives we had this week were: to learn, to sweat and to laugh, and we did all three a lot.”
FRIENDLY FIRE
The 11 starters Cherundolo placed on the field for Wednesday’s kickoff were the same 11 he fielded in LAFC’s previous scrimmage against an MLS team, on Jan. 29 against Portland. Goalkeeper and 2024 MLS All Star Hugo Lloris worked behind a four-man back line of Ryan Hollingshead, Aaron Long, Eddie Segura, and Sergi Palencia. The midfield trio of Timmy Tillman and new acquisitions Mark Delgado and Igor Jesus connected the defense to a front three that consisted of wingers Bouanga and David Martínez and center forward Olivier Giroud.
Igor, the Brazilian holding midfielder, turned in another promising performance over his 90-minute shift. The 21-year-old, who arrived two weeks ago from Portugal’s top league, dueled with MLS veteran Kellyn Acosta of Chicago, who played a similar midfield role for LAFC when the Black & Gold won MLS Cup in 2022 and reached the final again in ’23.
“He's exceeded our expectations for sure, on and off the field,” Cherundolo said of the team’s new defensive shield. “He's been a great addition. Language-wise, he's not exactly the jokester and telling stories at the dinner table yet, but I think maybe we can get him there. But on the field, zero is lost in translation. He's been amazing.”
LAFC created several chances in transition in the first half, with Bouanga and Martínez making deep, dangerous runs. Shots from Bouanga and Tillman barely missed the mark.
MORE FORAYS FORWARD
The most exciting moment of the opening 45 minutes came in the 38th, when Long stepped into midfield to dispossess a Fire attacker, then played the ball ahead to Delgado, who executed a clever 1-2 with Giroud that released Martínez into the space behind the Fire’s back line. The Venezuelan teenager’s shot was deflected out of play by the foot of Chicago’s advancing keeper, keeping the game scoreless at half.
In the 63rd minute, forward Jeremy Ebobisse came on for Giroud and made an immediate impact. Thirty seconds after the free agent acquisition from San Jose took the field, Lloris drove an arcing 70-yard pass down the center of the pitch; Ebobisse outran a Chicago defender to reach it first, and their battle for the ball resulted in a whistle and a penalty kick that was cleanly converted by Bouanga.
From then on LAFC created a flurry of chances against the young back line that Fire head coach Gregg Berhalter brought on for the second half. LAFC fired several shots in or near the six-yard box, all of them blocked or saved.
HEAVY ROTATION
By this time Cherundolo had replaced nine of his 11 starters as well, with only Bouanga and Igor going all 90 minutes. Center backs Nkosi Tafari (acquired via trade from FC Dallas) and Lorenzo Dellavalle replaced Long and Segura. Academy product, LA native, and fan favorite Nathan Ordaz entered the match and made a handful of daring runs into Chicago’s defending third.
Forward Adrian Wibowo, who just turned 19, provided the thrill of the match when he dribbled up the right flank and fired a left-footed shot that beat the Fire keeper and banged off both posts before trickling around the goal mouth. An onrushing Bouanga was unable to tap in the rebound, but Wibowo’s incursion brought the large band of LAFC faithful in attendance to their feet.
“Our second team with [head coach] Junior [Gonzalez] and the academy coaches are doing a great job of making sure players, when they do come up, they understand our model and understand what's expected of them,” Cherundolo said of Wibowo. “Adrian's done excellent. He got on the scoreboard against Phoenix Rising a few days ago and today very nearly as well.”
DELGADO ADAPTING
Two-time MLS Cup champion Mark Delgado, a southern California native who played the last three seasons with the Galaxy, mingled with members of LAFC’s 3252 Supporters’ Union after the match and walked away wearing a black and gold scarf. “This was my first interaction with the group of supporters and the fans,” Delgado said, “and they're welcoming me with open arms. I was a bit nervous at first, but it's great.”
As for his relationships with his new teammates, Delgado said: “Everything off the field has been more than what I expected, and everything on the field – that bond just translates onto the field as well, just covering space for that man next to you. We're honestly building more than a team, it's more of a family here … Honestly, I’m loving it.”
NEXT UP: CLUB AMÉRICA
Next Tuesday, LAFC will host reigning Liga MX champions Club América in a much-anticipated friendly in front of an expected sellout crowd at BMO Stadium. Tillman, born and raised in Germany, is looking forward to the match-up with the club that has won more league titles than any other in Mexico. “I know that they recently won the championship over there,” he said. “It will be a very tough game for us, a very good last test. Hopefully we can get the result, but it's more important to look at our performance, and just have a good game at home.”
High-profile friendlies against elite clubs, Cherundolo added, “is what I've been asking for for the past four years, and we finally got it. We want these games. We want these tests to be in the stadium, in front of fans. It's the best way to prepare your players for a real match. And we start our season in the Champions League, so there isn't a better test than Club América right now for us.”
LAFC faces Liga MX side Club América in a preseason friendly at BMO Stadium on Tuesday, Feb. 11, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets can be purchased here, with a portion of proceeds to be donated to fire relief efforts across Los Angeles.
LAFC begins its 2025 season on the road against the Colorado Rapids in Concacaf Champions Cup action on Feb. 18. The Black & Gold opens MLS regular-season play on Feb. 22 against Minnesota United at BMO Stadium. Season ticket information. Single-game ticket info.
