LAFC @ LA Galaxy
Saturday, Sept. 14 at 7:30 p.m. PT
🏟: Dignity Health Sports Park - Carson, CA
After a scoreless draw against the Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium last Saturday, LAFC next faces southern California rival Galaxy in a top-of-the-table Western Conference showdown on Saturday, September 14, at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
LAFC (14W-6L-6D) remains in second place in the Western Conference, with 48 points from 26 matches played. They have played two fewer games than the Galaxy, who currently lead the Western Conference with 52 points from 28 matches.
The Black & Gold is currently riding a three-game winning streak against the Galaxy and have lost just once (6W-1L-0D) to the Carson-based team over their last seven MLS encounters.
LAFC's all-time record against the Galaxy stands at 9W-9L-5D. This will be the clubs’ third meeting of 2024, with LAFC winning the previous two, including a 2-1 victory at the Rose Bowl on July 4.
“Pride is always on the line in a derby,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said Thursday. “I think that's first and foremost. The best thing about the game is there's no travel, for either team, home or away. Now you have the added situation of taking a look at the standings, too, and making sure that from our perspective, we can catch up a little bit, and that would be our primary goal in this match. But I do think the first part, pride, overrides anything else involving the match … What you take away from beating your rival is really important."
Saturday's match will not only showcase two of the league's top-scoring teams – which now include former European stars Marco Reus and Olivier Giroud – but will feature a key goalkeeper duel. Hugo Lloris leads all MLS goalkeepers in 2024 with 10 clean sheets, while Galaxy keeper John McCarthy, who was named MLS Cup MVP in 2022 with LAFC, has recorded six.
Giroud said on Thursday that Reus (who, like Giroud, recently arrived in California following an illustrious career in Europe) texted him when he signed with the Galaxy. “He's still a top player,” Giroud said. “It will be fun to face him … They have a good squad, but it's going to be interesting: two different teams with two different styles of play. We need to be 100 percent. I have played a few derbies and, yeah, you have to be at the maximum, at 100 percent to make the difference.”
The Galaxy In Depth:
Led by head coach Greg Vanney, the Galaxy are aiming to edge closer to their first Western Conference title since 2011. With a record of 15W-6L-7D, the Galaxy currently hold a four-point advantage over LAFC with six games remaining on their schedule. (LAFC has eight.)
In their most recent match, the Galaxy suffered a 2-1 defeat on the road to St. Louis City SC on Sunday, September 1.
The Galaxy's offense is led by young Designated Player Gabriel Pec, who has netted 11 goals and provided 10 assists in 27 league appearances. The team could receive a boost with the return of Dejan Joveljic from injury; Joveljic has contributed 12 goals and five assists in 22 league matches.
The Galaxy will be missing Joseph Paintsil due to yellow card accumulation and Julián Aude due to injury.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It can get on the scoreboard first and control the match on its own terms. LAFC will look to ride the momentum of its current winning streak against the Galaxy, as well as the confidence earned during its last trip to DHSP in 2023, a 3-2 LAFC win.
Forward Denis Bouanga has a strong track record against the Galaxy, having scored six goals against LAFC’s neighbors in his career. Bouanga has found the net in each of the last three matchups, all victories for the Black & Gold.
The Galaxy Can Win If:
They capitalize on their home-pitch advantage, boasting an unbeaten record of 10W-0L-2D at Dignity Health Sports Park in 2024, the best home record in MLS. Riqui Puig, who hasn’t scored against LAFC in their last three encounters, will need to make a significant impact with the ball if the Galaxy are to break their recent losing skid against their rivals. Puig leads the league with 2,535 total touches, while his teammate Maya Yoshida ranks second with 2,191.
