LAFC vs. Real Salt Lake
Wednesday, July 17 at 7:45pm PT
Location: BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA 🏟
TV: FREE on Apple TV – MLS Season Pass 🖥, FS1 📺
Radio: ESPN LA App📱, 710 AM ESPN, KFWB 980 AM La Mera Mera 📻
Events: Level Up arcade (5:30-7:30pm & 10-11:30pm) 🕹
After a 5-1 defeat to the Columbus Crew on Saturday night, LAFC now prepares to host Real Salt Lake in a crucial Western Conference clash on Wednesday, July 17, at BMO Stadium.
Despite its first home loss this year, LAFC (13W-5L-4D) remains at the top of the Western Conference standings with 43 points from 22 matches played. Saturday’s defeat ended LAFC’s 13-game unbeaten streak across all competitions, which set a new club record.
LAFC forward Denis Bouanga remains in second place in the 2024 MLS Golden Boot race with 14 goals, three behind leader and former teammate Cristian Arango, who is expected to miss Wednesday’s match due to league suspension.
The Black & Gold boasts a 13W-4L-0D all-time record against Real Salt Lake across all competitions. The Western Conference rivals last squared off on March 2 in a match played on a thick blanket of snow, which resulted in a 3-0 Salt Lake win at America First Field in Sandy, Utah.
RSL in-depth
Real Salt Lake (12W-4L-7D) currently sits behind LAFC in second place in the Western Conference (based on Supporters’ Shield tiebreakers) with 43 points from 23 matches played.The Claret & Cobalt’s last match was a 3-0 loss on Saturday night to the Portland Timbers at Providence Park in the Rose City.
Colombian international Andrés Gómez’s 11 goals are second on the club behind Arango’s 17. Gómez has added nine assists so far in his breakout season, but will miss Wednesday's match due to yellow-card accumulation.
Led by 47-year-old former USMNT player Pablo Mastroeni, Real Salt Lake seeks to strengthen its standing in the Western Conference, while striving for its fourth consecutive playoff berth. Mastroeni’s side is likely to be without another key piece in defender Justen Glad as he continues to recover from an ankle injury.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It can shift its focus away from Saturday's loss and onto this critical conference matchup. The Black & Gold will face the highest-scoring team in the West, and it will do so without defenders Sergi Palencia and Jesús Murillo, who are sidelined due to red-card suspensions. However, LAFC gets a boost with Timothy Tillman's return from suspension due to yellow-card accumulation; plus Cristian Olivera is expected to be available after representing Uruguay at the 2024 Copa América.
LAFC will rely on Bouanga and Mateusz Bogusz (12 goals) — who make up the second-highest scoring duo in MLS in 2024 (26 combined goals) to jumpstart its offense. The Black & Gold is 11W-0L-1D this season when Bouanga has a goal or an assist.
RSL Can Win If:
It scores first and follows the Crew’s blueprint of limiting the Black & Gold in transition. Real Salt Lake has proven its ability to win at BMO Stadium, as evidenced by its 1-0 victory over LAFC last October. That win had been LAFC’s most recent home loss prior to Saturday’s outcome against Columbus.
With the absence of Arango, Real Salt Lake will rely on Diego Luna's recent goal-scoring form. The young American has scored two in RSL’s last three matches after narrowly missing out on being part of the USA's Olympic squad that's headed to Paris next month.
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