With a 2-1 loss in Dallas, June didn't start well for LAFC. But Saturday's match against the Philadelphia Union gives them a chance to end the month on a high note. The Black & Gold have won four straight in all competitions with their 2-0 win over the Columbus Crew last week.
The Union's visit to Banc of California Stadium will be the first matchup between the two sides in Club history, as LAFC aims to remain unbeaten at home. Here's a look at the match against Philadelphia on Saturday:
Where To Watch/Listen
LAFC vs Philadelphia Union, June 30 at 5pm PT
TV: YouTube TV (prematch show starts at 4:30pm), UniMás 46
Radio: ESPNLA 710, KFWB 980
Opponent Form
The Union thumped the Vancouver Whitecaps last Saturday by a score of 4-0. Midfielder Borak Dockal provided the spark in that match with a pair of goals. With the win, the Union move just above the playoff line in the Eastern Conference into sixth place on 21 points. But Philadelphia has struggled for consistency in 2018, only winning back-to-back matches once this season.
What The Players Are Saying
Lee Nguyen on getting comfortable in LAFC's system: "I had a short window to try and learn things. But like I said, this is a system and a style of play that I feel like fits me. And I was able to easily integrate with these guys because everyone is technical. Bob's system, like said, fits my style."
Walker Zimmerman on the need to start quick in home matches: "I think we saw how important it is to have a good start. Because that's something we haven't really done yet was score two goals in the first 15 to 20 minutes of a game. And so we saw how important that was, how much it helps the play when you're ahead. So I think, maybe a little extra urgency to try and get one early against Philly."
LAFC Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3): Tyler Miller; Jordan Harvey, Walker Zimmerman, Laurent Ciman, Steven Beitashour; Eduard Atuesta, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen; Diego Rossi, Adama Diomande, Latif Blessing.
What To Watch For
Philly's Road Woes: The Union have won just once away from home this season going 1-5-1 on the road in 2018. The problems go back farther than 2018 though. The Union's 1-0 win at the Montreal Impact in May was its only win in the last 19 road matches dating back to last season.
Dio Keeps Scoring: Adama Diomande scored his fourth goal of the season against the Crew last match. The Norwegian striker now has four goals in four MLS matches since coming over from Hull City. With just two starts to his name, Dio's 1.62 goals per 90 minutes is the best in MLS of players that have scored at least three goals this season. Marco Ureña returns from World Cup duty shortly. Bob Bradley now has some serious options when it comes to deciding who to play up top going forward.
Denying Dockal: The Union's playmaker has been on form over the last month or so. Borek Dockal has four goals and four assists in his last six matches for Philly. Playing as an attacking midfielder, the Designated Player seems to have acclimated to MLS after a less than convincing start to his first season. He leads the Union with five goals and six assists in 2018. He'll be the danger man for the LAFC defense, similar to the way Federico Higuain was last week. LAFC did an excellent job of staying close to Higuain in the win over the Crew, denying him time to pick up his head in the offensive third. They'll need to put in a similar performance with Dockal.
