Last week's match at the Galaxy had LAFC and its Supporters running the full gamut of emotions. From the electricity of the traveling Supporters in the away end of StubHub Stadium, to the elation of being up 3-0, to the disappointment of a last gasp Zlatan Ibrahimović winner, the first installment of the LAFC-Galaxy rivalry laid down a marker. But as Bob Bradley said this week at training, "C'mon, it's football. So, we're ready to move on."
LAFC head to Mercedes-Benz Stadium for a date with last year's debutants Atlanta United. On Saturday, LAFC will have to cope with Atlanta's attacking trident of Miguel Almirón, Josef Martinez, and Héctor Villalba, in addition to the 40,000-plus United supporters in the stands.
When & Where To Watch/Listen
LAFC At Atlanta United, April 7 at 2pm PST
TV: ESPN
Radio: ESPNLA 710, KFWB 980
Opponent Form Guide
Atlanta shrugged off a 4-0 drubbing by Houston in the opening match of the season to rip off three wins on the trot. United is undefeated in 16 of their last 17 matches at home.
What The Players Are Saying
Carlos Vela on forgetting the Galaxy loss: "The only thing I said to the team, 'It's not going to happen again.' 3-0 is impossible to lose the game. I can't understand how we lost the other day. I'm disappointed but these things happen. We have to keep working. The league is very long and we have to work to win more games."
Bob Bradley on the similarities between LAFC and Atlanta United: "I think there’s some similarities. Obviously, they started last year with some exciting attacking players. They had some games early on where they scored goals and created excitement. I think all of those are positives. Then as they moved through the season, they looked for all the other ways to improve as a team. So we start with some excitement, but we still know that there’s a lot of things that need to happen to be more complete. To manage games better, to connect passes better, to have more possession, all this kind of stuff. Look, we’re not the complete deal by any means."
Steven Beitashour on what it takes to get a result in Atlanta: "Obviously, Atlanta has been superb at home. There's just something about playing in front of their home crowd, whether it's that field or their stadium. They definitely have a buzz to them. So it's going to be tough. A tough place to play. Teams that go in there, it's very difficult to get a result. We're going to have to continue to work. It's been a good week of training. We're going to have to continue to work and do the right things."
LAFC Projected Starting XI
(4-2-3-1) Tyler Miller; Steven Beitashour, Dejan Jakovic, Laurent Ciman, João Moutinho; Mark-Anthony Kaye, Benny Feilhaber; Diego Rossi, Carlos Vela, Latif Blessing; Marco Ureña
What To Watch For
On The Attack: Both sides feature talented attacking options up front that like to strike in transition. Which side will get the better of the other in open space? Will either team sit back in hopes of limiting outnumbered breaks? Either way, it's going to be fun to watch.
Expect Goals: Speaking of attacking football, Atlanta United have scored three or more goals in both their home matches this season, while LAFC are averaging three goals a match on the road.
How Will LAFC Bounce Back?: Through 240 minutes of the Club's inaugural season, LAFC had scored nine goals and only conceded once. Were the final 30 minutes of last game an aberration? A lot of the talk at training this week centered on getting back to work and moving on. Atlanta is one of the most difficult places in MLS to get a result. On Saturday, we'll see how resilient Bradley's side this early in the season
