LAFC @ FC Cincinnati
Saturday, Sept. 28 at 4:30 p.m. PT
🏟: TQL Stadium - Cincinnati, OH
Following its thrilling, 3-1 extra-time victory over Sporting Kansas City in the 2024 U.S. Open Cup Final, LAFC must use the emotion from claiming the fourth major trophy it has won in its seven-year history to reinvigorate its MLS charge in a Saturday night matchup with FC Cincinnati at TQL Stadium.
With the regular season in its final stretch, LAFC boasts a record of 14W-8L-7D, good for fourth place in the Western Conference with 49 points from 29 matches played. A win or draw in Cincinnati will secure the Black & Gold’s spot in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs. LAFC can also clinch if FC Dallas loses or draws on Saturday.
Denis Bouanga is currently tied for second in the 2024 MLS Golden Boot race with 17 goals, alongside Cristian Arango (RSL), Luis Suárez (MIA), and Dániel Gazdag (PHL). League leader Christian Benteke (DCU) has 19 goals. Saturday’s match also pits the top two vote getters in last year’s MLS MVP race against one another, with 2023 runner-up Bouanga and reigning MVP Lucho Acosta showing off their attacking talents.
One of the two head coaches – LAFC’s Steve Cherundolo or Cincinnati’s Pat Noonan – can earn his 50th career regular-season win Saturday night. Both coaches played for the U.S. Mens National Team in the early 2000s. “I've always respected Pat as a player,” Cherundolo said Friday. “Our paths crossed with the National Team … I loved watching Pat play, and it's great to watch him coach as well. No surprise to me that he's a massively successful coach.”
This will be the third all-time meeting between LAFC and FC Cincinnati. LAFC won both previous encounters. Their last match took place in 2022, when the Black & Gold triumphed 2-1 at TQL Stadium.
FC Cincinnati In Depth:
Under Noonan, FC Cincinnati remains optimistic about its Supporters’ Shield chances after winning the trophy in 2023. With just four games left in the regular season, Noonan’s side stands in third place in the Shield race with a record of 17W-8L-5D (56 points).
Cincinnati is undefeated in its last four outings (2W-0L-2D). Its most recent game ended in a 2-2 draw in Nashville last Saturday.
Luciano "Lucho" Acosta leads the team with 12 goals and is tied with Portland's Evander for the league-high in assists (18), while Japanese international Yuya Kubo follows with 10 goals and 2 assists.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It can ride the momentum of Wednesday’s trophy lift. Prior to its victory in the U.S. Open Cup Final, LAFC had gone winless in five matches across all competitions. Now it must regroup after 120 minutes of intense, championship-level competition and face a challenging opponent that will test its depth and quality. The Black & Gold’s current stretch of playing seven matches in 22 days will require strong performances from its starters and impactful contributions from its bench.
The Garys Can Win If:
It strikes first against the Black & Gold. Acosta and Company are 15W-1L-0D this season when they score the first goal. Acosta stands one goal or assist away from matching his club record of 31 goal contributions in a single season.
