The moment almost here for LAFC; its first game at Banc of California Stadium.
By Ivan Yeo
The Day is finally coming for LAFC.
After four years of planning, negotiating, development and anticipation, and for the players and the coaching staff, six weeks of plane trips, LAFC will finally get to play in front of their home fans. On Sunday, LAFC will play its first match in its brand new Banc of California Stadium against the Seattle Sounders, and the entire organization can hardly wait.
“Its been a few years in the making, and I can’t imagine what the supporters are feeling,” LAFC defender Walker Zimmerman said. “For us, every road game, its been ‘alright, its one game closer, so we’re all pretty excited.”
LAFC opened up its inaugural season with six straight road games, and held themselves up quite strongly during that span. LAFC enters Sunday’s match with a 4-2 record and 12 points, good enough for second place in the Western Conference. LAFC has certainly experienced all the emotions a team can experience. LAFC has grinded out wins, come from behind to get wins, and have enjoyed laughing it up on a team. LAFC’s two losses have also just have been emotional, as they had a heart-braking loss to its cross-town rival LA Galaxy and a blowout loss to Atlanta United. Now however comes a new set of emotions, such as playing in its new stadium for the first time in what is sure to be a raucous and emotional home crowd.
“Every team wants to get its supporters on its side with football and with energy so that together, it becomes a difficult place for opponents, and we’ll have our first chance on Sunday,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said of the pregame emotions.
LAFC trained at the stadium on Friday, giving the team its first chance to experience and fell out the stadium. Among the experiences were its locker room, feeling out the stadium pitch and dynamics, and valet parking.
“This is different class,” Zimmerman said. “You walk in and you immediately feel the professionalism, you feel how much detail has gone into this place. It gives us no excuses to fail, because they’re providing such a great stadium, a great training facility and all the little details.
LAFC will christen Banc of California Stadium against the same team they played their first ever game against, the Seattle Sounders. LAFC gutted out a 1-0 win against the Sounders at CenturyLink Field back on March 4. Diego Rossi took a pass from Carlos Vela and fired a shot from just outside the penalty area that beat Stefan Frei far post. LAFC made the goal stood up, thanks to some clutch play from keeper Tyler Miler, the former Sounders keeper who celebrated a happy homecoming.
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