Los Angeles FC can book a place in the Western Conference final for a second successive campaign with a victory on Sunday at Lumen Field against the Seattle Sounders in the second round of the MLS Cup playoffs.
Seattle narrowly defeated Dallas 1-0 in game three of round one to advance into the conference semi-finals, while the reigning champions swept their series with the Vancouver Whitecaps, winning the second match by a 1-0 score.
Match preview
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Throughout the 2023 regular season, the Rave Green have squeaked by with a solid defensive shape, conceding the second-fewest goals in MLS (41).
That carried them through their opening round series against the Toros, where this team did just enough to get by, taking the lead after 36 minutes before shutting up shop in game two, holding their opponents to just one shot on target and winning for the 10th time domestically this year by a single goal.
A year after missing the playoffs for the first time in their MLS history, manager Brian Schmetzer stuck with the traditional mid-block that we are used to seeing from the Sounders, who were among the best in the league at denying scoring opportunities to the opposition.
Having an elite player in every line of the field and a relatively healthy squad in 2023, along with their ability to manufacture opportunities for their attackers to run at opposing defenders, makes them a dangerous team to defend.
The Sounders enter this match unbeaten in their previous five domestic fixtures at Lumen Field, with a clean sheet on four of those occasions, going three straight matches without conceding.
They have won 16 of their 17 last 17 home playoff games, with 14 of those victories occurring in normal time and their only defeat over that stretch coming on penalties versus Real Salt Lake in 2021 (6-5).
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Their game two victory in Vancouver was marred in controversy, but in the end, the Black and Gold were the victors, claiming their first playoff triumph away from home in club history.
Dating back to the beginning of the 2022 post-season, LAFC are now unbeaten in five successive playoff fixtures, while they are 14-0-3 when scoring first domestically in 2023.
Manager Steve Cherundolo usually has a very simple tactical approach, with straightforward passes that do not pull out many complex patterns but allow their quality attacking threats to get into solid scoring positions where they can work their magic.
The Black and Gold are a joy to watch in transition, creating the second-most shots in the league from high-pressing moments behind the New York Red Bulls.
Los Angeles are unbeaten in their previous five domestic contests as the visiting team, failing to concede in three of those encounters.
Sunday will be the third time they meet the Sounders in their MLS playoff history, with LAFC losing the previous two games against them by a 3-1 score both times.
Team News
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Reed Baker-Whiting is questionable for the Sounders in this game because of a left hamstring strain, as Schmetzer went with the same starting 11 in game three versus Dallas.
Albert Rusnak has been massive in critical moments for the Rave Green this season, scoring seven winning goals, including two in the opening round of the playoffs, as Stefan Frei only had to make one stop for a clean sheet in that decisive encounter, enabling them to advance.
Neither Raul Ruidiaz nor Nicolas Lodeiro featured in the starting 11 versus Dallas, but they have each netted five times respectively against LAFC, and they both scored when they defeated the Black and Gold in the 2020 playoffs (3-1), as did Jordan Morris.
Cherundolo brought in three newcomers to the starting 11 from game one to two against Vancouver, with Aaron Long, Kellyn Acosta and Mario Gonzalez replacing Giorgio Chiellini, Mateusz Bogusz and Carlos Vela.
The regular season Golden Boot winner, Denis Bouanga, had the only goal in their previous encounter, his ninth in his last five games, and fifth in the playoffs, the most in club history, while Maxime Crepeau set a new career high with five saves for a clean sheet.
When they visited Seattle earlier this year, John McCarthy was between the sticks, stopping the three shots that he faced in a 0-0 draw.
Seattle Sounders possible starting lineup:
Frei; A. Roldan, Gomez, Ragen, Tolo; Paulo, Atencio, C. Roldan, Rusnak, Lodeiro; Morris
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
Crepeau; Hollingshead, Maldonado, Chiellini, Palacios; Tillman, Sanchez, Bogusz; Olivera, Vela, Bouanga
We say: Seattle Sounders 1-0 Los Angeles FC
This is a classic attack versus defence matchup, and in the end, we believe the well-organised Seattle backline will find a way to frustrate the reigning champions.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
