LOS ANGELES (News4usonline) – LAFC finished the season as the best team in the MLS Western Conference. As a result of being the top team in the conference, LAFC had the luxury of skipping the first round of the playoffs, and will now the Los Angeles Galaxy, the team’s Los Angeles neighbor in the second round.
LAFC got here by coming up with a mark of 21-9-4.
LAFC ended the regular season with a 1-0 loss to Nashville, a week after beating Portland by the score of 2-1. LAFC and LA Galaxy will play Oct. 20 at Banc of California Stadium near downtown Los Angeles.
LAFC had an opportunity to get to the top since they are 19-4-8 and can reach the 2023 Concacaf Champions League for the first time since 2020. LAFC reached the Concacaf Champions League final in 2020 and lost to Tigres UANL with a score of 2-1.
The last time they faced each other Houston Dynamo defeated LAFC with a score of 2-1. The Dynamo ended their season in 13th place in the Western Conference with 36 points for the season.
LAFC will win if they can focus on more defending home-field advantage. They won nine straight matches at home before suffering a defeat to Nashville. Carlos Vela scored in the 18-yard box against Houston Dynamo since he did it against Minnesota United FC.
Before Houston, LAFC won one game in the previous six games when they played Real Salt Lake.
Vela scored twice on penalty kicks in the first half and helped LAFC take a 3-1 victory against the Dynamo. Ryan Hollingshead also scored the third goal for LAFC in the 52nd minute with his right foot and shot it into the top center.
Houston equalized the game in the 24th minute with Adalberto “Coco” Carrasqullia long pass assist from Corey Baird goal. Baird also scored on his former team. Vela scored his 11th goal of the 2022 season and made 68 career goals with LAFC. Hollingshead has six goals this season and makes his 24th career goal with LAFC. LAFC ended the season with a mark of 14-2-2 at home. LAFC scored in every home game this season.
Steve Cherundolo said, “Cristian Tello and Gareth Bale were also very good when they came in, but exactly how they envisioned them helping us out tonight to finish the game off.”
According to MLSsoccer.com, “One of Gareth Bale’s primary reasons for signing with LAFC this summer was to be ready for Wales reaching their first World Cup since 1958, snapping a 64-year drought when they compete in Qatar this November.”
“We have a plan in LA with what we’re doing,” Bale said. “We’re not doing too much straight away. Every footballer wants to play as much as they can, but we’re being clever and building myself up for the last important part of the season. Hopefully, that should put me in great shape for the World Cup.”
LAFC took over as the top team in the West Conference standings thanks to a draw from Austin FC against Nashville of 1-1 on Saturday night. LAFC has an opportunity to take the Supporters’ Shield and qualify for the Concacaf Champions league with two wins and Philadelphia Union lose and/or draw one or two games.
Steven Cherundolo has joined Bob Bradley (1998 Chicago Fire) and Thomas Rongen (1996 Tampa Bay Mutiny) in having 20 wins or more in their first season as MLS coaches. After the win against Dynamo, LAFC reached 20 wins this season and it’s the second time they have won 20 games or more. The last time they reached more than 20 games was in the 2019 season when they had 21 wins.
LAFC has bought another forward Crisian Tello that was transferred from the Spanish team Real Betis. After buying Tello now LAFC has the best forwards that can help make goals.
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