2017 Record: 0-0-0. 2018 is their debut season in Major League Soccer
Head Coach: Bob Bradley
Additions: F Carlos Vela (Real Sociedad), MF Benny Feilhaber (Sporting Kansas City), Laurent Ciman (Montreal Impact), Walker Zimmerman (FC Dallas), Marco Urena (San Jose Earthquakes), Diego Rossi (Penarol), Latif Blessing (Sporting Kansas City), D Omar Gaber (Basel).
The Big Question: Can LAFC live up to expectations?
Since being established in 2014, LAFC has gone out on a marketing blitz in Los Angeles. In addition to its new stadium, which is adjacent to the LA Coliseum and is just minutes from downtown, LA, its ownership group alone boasted a who’s who, with the likes of Peter Guber, Magic Johnson, Mia Hamm, Nomar Garciaparra, Will Ferrell, Tony Robbins and YouTube Founder Chad Hurley, whose company is featured on the team’s jersey and will be broadcasting its games on YouTube TV (just to name a few).
On the field, LAFC has certainly looked to be just as ambitious. The team hired Bob Bradley, who has experience in both managing expansion and LA team. Bradley led the expansion Chicago Fire to the MLS Cup in 1998 and eight years later, Bradley guided second-year Chivas USA to the playoffs, where they gave the eventual champion Houston Dynamo all it could handle before losing in the first round. Bradley’s stints in Europe and with the USMNT and Egyptian national teams also made him an attractive candidate.
On the player front, LAFC made its first big splash in August of last year when they used their first designated player slot to sign Mexican international Carlos Vela. LAFC also took Costa Rican forward Marco Urena in the expansion draft and signed promising Uruguayan striker Diego Rossi. On defense, LAFC traded two other expansion draft picks to the Montreal Impact for Laurent Ciman on draft day. Walker Zimmerman was acquired from FC Dallas the day after MLS Cup and Egyptian right back Omar Gabel was acquired on loan from Swiss club Basel.
Area to keep an eye on: Midfield
The forward and backline spots look to be solid, but the midfield will probably get as much attention. LAFC acquired Benny Feilhaber, who played well under Bradley for the USMNT at the 2010 World Cup and gives LA a playmaker in the central midfield. Latif Blessing is a player that Bradley describes as exciting, capable of beating defenders off the dribble and can play any of the attacking spots, which will likely be in the midfield with Vela, Urena and Rossi most likely to split time at forward.
2018 Outlook: Eighth place in the Western Conference
LAFC has certainly asserted itself in the battle to win over soccer fans in Los Angeles. The questions is how impactful will the moves be on the pitch. The potential is certainly there, you can certainly expect LAFC to be in the playoff hunt, and you can never count out Bob Bradley, but in the tough Western Conference, the climb will certainly be an uphill one.
LAFC
MLS
