Photo courtesy of LAFC.
Lee Nguyen made his debut for LAFC on Saturday afternoon.
LAFC versus D.C. United
Banc of California Stadium, 10pm EST/7 pm PST, ESPN +
Two sides that have yet to meet but have plenty of ties will do battle on Saturday night at D.C. United travel to Banc of California Stadium to take on LAFC.
While this will be the first encounter between the two they certainly know each other well. LAFC Manager Bob Bradley was an assistant for United’s first two MLS Cups. Meanwhile LAFC Technical Director John Thorrington played his final professional season with D.C. back in 2013 and defender Dejan Jackovic, who will likely start, made 98 appearances for the Black and Red from 2009 to 2013.
At home LAFC have been anything but kind to their guests. The expansion side have taken the league by storm in part due to their tremendous form within the friendly confines of the bank. They are undefeated at home (2-0-2, 8 points) and have outscored their opponents 6-3 during that span. LAFC’s ability to counterattack with the likes of Diego Rossi (four goals) and Carlos Vela (four goals) have made them one of the most difficult sides to play against early in this 2018 season.
The big question for LAFC in this match and across the next month and a half will be how deep their roster is. Due to the international window and the impending World Cup LAFC will be without several key starters on Saturday. While Vela and defender Laurent Ciman (who are both heading to Russia to represent Mexico and Belgium, respectively) midfielders Omar Gaber (Egypt) and Marco Urena (Costa Rica) have already left for their World Cup camps. Center-back Walker Zimmerman has already left for the U.S. Men’s National Team camp ahead of their friendly against Bolivia on Monday.
Having Ciman and Vela at least for Saturday will help them, losing Zimmerman will leave a big hole in LAFC’s spine. The big Georgian has distinguished himself this season with his ability to mark multiple attackers and create space for goalkeeper Tyler Miller to make saves when necessary. Ciman has certainly made some big plays and provided stability for a team that needed organization early on. But he is 33 and doesn’t have the legs to keep up with the speedy style of play that many MLS sides like to employ. D.C.’s attack came alive last week in their 3-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes in part because midfielder Luciano Acosta found gaps in the center-backs for Darren Mattocks and Yamil Asad to exploit.
That being said D.C. will have their hands full on the defense.Center-backs Steve Birnbaum and Frederic Brilliant finally looked comfortable with each other in the backfield, timing their runs excellently and make several clears. Moreover, they gave defensive midfielder Chris Durkin the chance to roam and disrupt the rhythm of the Earthquakes midfield. The 18-year old Homegrown Product will have his toughest test yet against Rossi, Vela and midfielder Benny Feilhaber. The trio have formed a linking partnership from midfield to the attack that no other side has yet to really figure out. Durkin has shown a knack at disrupting chances going from the midfield to the forward spot so it will be interesting to see if he can do it again here. Look for Oniel Fisher, who is probably the only player that can match Rossi’s speed, to play a pivotal role on Saturday.
With D.C. and LA both coming off of positive results there is an air of optimism with this match. Both sides should feel like they can get goals and that maybe their defense can make a stand late. The question is who gets out of the gate first and if D.C. gets the lead, can they hold on to it.
Chicago Fire
DC United
