LAFC vs. Columbus Crew SC
Saturday, July 13, at 7:30pm PT
Location: BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA 🏟
TV: FREE on Apple TV – MLS Season Pass 🖥
Radio: 710 AM ESPN 📻, ESPN LA App 📱, KFWB 980 AM La Mera Mera 📻
Events: Level Up arcade (5:30-7:30pm & 10-11:30pm) 🕹
Following a 3-1 victory over New Mexico United in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals on Wednesday night, LAFC shifts its focus back to MLS league play as it hosts the Columbus Crew in a highly anticipated 2023 MLS Cup final rematch on Saturday, July 13, at BMO Stadium.
On Wednesday night, goals by Timothy Tillman, David Martinez, and Mateusz Bogusz secured LAFC's place in the U.S. Open Cup Semifinals for the first time since 2018. Overall, LAFC is currently on an unbeaten streak of 13 games, a club record that includes victories in three U.S. Open Cup matches. LAFC has outscored its opponents 33-7 in those 13 games.
Where MLS is concerned, LAFC (13W-4L-4D) sits atop the Western Conference with 43 points from 21 matches played.
Saturday's match will see the Crew return to BMO Stadium for the first time since their 2018 encounter with LAFC, which ended in a 2-0 win for the home side with goals from Laurent Ciman and Adama Diomande.
Historically, the Black & Gold boasts a 3W-1L-0D record against the Crew across all competitions, with its only defeat coming in a closely contested 2-1 loss in the 2023 MLS Cup final last December.
Crew in-depth
The Crew (11W-3L-6D) currently sit in third place in the Eastern Conference with 39 points from 20 matches played. Columbus is on a four-game winning streak and has suffered only one defeat in its last nine league matches.
In MLS away fixtures, Columbus owns a record of 5W-2L-3D, with its most recent road loss being a 2-1 defeat to Inter Miami CF on June 19.
Coached by Wilfried Nancy, the Crew are aiming to achieve the rare feat of becoming the first club since the 2011 and 2012 seasons to repeat as MLS Cup champions.
Uruguayan international Diego Rossi returns to BMO Stadium for the first time since departing LAFC for Turkish side Fenerbahçe in 2021. Rossi, who won the 2020 MLS Golden Boot while playing for LAFC and contributed to its 2019 Supporters' Shield victory, will be looking to add to his five goals and 10 assists in 2024 MLS league play.
Despite losing Julian Gressel in the offseason and more recently Aidan Morris, who transferred to Middlesbrough of the English Football League Championship, the Crew will field a lineup similar to the one that competed in the 2023 MLS Cup final.
However, Canadian forward Jacen Russell-Rowe will likely be absent after competing for his country in 2024 Copa América.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It draws motivation from last December’s loss and employs it to stay unbeaten at home in 2024. LAFC will feature recent roster additions such as Hugo Lloris, Eduard Atuesta, Kei Kamara, and Maxime Chanot, who were not part of its MLS Cup 2023 roster. Mateusz Bogusz, who played a limited role in the final, is poised to make a significant impact in the rematch. Bogusz has contributed 10 goals and five assists in LAFC’s last 13 matches across all competitions.
LAFC will be without Cristian Olivera, who continues to compete with Uruguay in Copa América, and Timothy Tillman, who is sidelined due to yellow card accumulation.
Columbus Can Win If:
They open the scoring and neutralize LAFC's swift transition game. The Crew boasts the best defensive numbers in MLS so far this season, conceding just 18 goals. They'll look to sustain that form against an LAFC attack that has netted 15 goals in its last four MLS outings. For Columbus, victorious in five of its last six away fixtures, handing LAFC its first home defeat of 2024 will require a brave performance from Cucho Hernandez (11 goals in MLS in '24).
