The final instalment of El Trafico this season comes with a chance to qualify for the MLS Western Conference Final as Los Angeles FC host the Los Angeles Galaxy at Banc of California Stadium on Thursday.
The Galaxy booked their place in the next round of the playoffs thanks to a 1-0 triumph at home to Nashville SC, while the Black and Gold earned a first-round bye after capturing the Supporters' Shield crown in the regular season.
Match preview
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A season removed from missing the playoffs for the first time in club history, the 2022 campaign has been one of redemption for the Black and Gold, who have finished the regular season with the best record in the league for the second time.
While they are back in the playoffs for the first time since 2020, the goal for Steve Cherundolo and his side is a lot bigger than just a postseason appearance as the team added plenty of new faces during the year in an effort to claim their first-ever MLS Cup.
Over the past two playoff campaigns, the Supporters Shield winners have not been able to win their opening match, with the New England Revolution falling in a shootout to New York City FC last year and the Philadelphia Union losing to the Revs in 2020.
Their 1-0 defeat versus Nashville SC on Decision Day ended a run of nine consecutive domestic triumphs for the Black and Gold at Banc of California Stadium.
They have not been quite as successful at home in the postseason as they were in the regular season this year, losing two of their three playoff fixtures at Banc of California Stadium, though their lone triumph came against the Galaxy 5-3 at this stage of the 2019 playoffs, the joint-highest scoring match in MLS playoff history.
Eight of their nine regular-season defeats this year have come when the Black and Gold conceded the opening goal, while they have only lost one of their seven home fixtures in the regular season and playoffs against their Los Angeles rivals.
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In their first postseason match under the name Dignity Health Sports Park, the Galaxy pulled off a relatively comfortable victory against the Boys in Gold.
That was the first clean sheet for Greg Vanney's men against an MLS opponent since they shut out Atlanta United 2-0 in July.
The LA Galaxy managed to hold their opponents off the scoresheet in only three road fixtures this year, with the last one coming in May, 1-0 over Austin FC.
The Galaxy have won 27 of their 31 home fixtures in the MLS Cup playoffs, but it has been a different story for them on the road, where they have not won a postseason affair since defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1 to advance into the 2012 Western Conference Final, before eventually winning it all.
Even though they have not fared well away from home in previous postseason games, the Galaxy were able to pick up six road victories during the regular season, the most for them at that stage of the competition since 2012 (six).
They have not lost all season when leading at the half, beating LAFC 2-1 at home in April, the first defeat for the Black and Gold in the 2022 campaign.
Heading into this elimination game, the Galaxy have only lost one of their last six MLS affairs away from home, scoring three goals in each of their previous two road outings, defeating the Houston Dynamo (3-1) and San Jose Earthquakes (3-2).
Team News
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Cristian Arango, who led the Black and Gold with 16 goals in the regular season, was on the shortlist for the Landon Donovan MLS MVP trophy, while Cherundolo was nominated alongside Wilfried Nancy and Jim Curtin for the Sigi Schmid Coach of the Year Award.
Seven of the 10 clean sheets claimed by Maxime Crepeau this season came at Banc of California Stadium, while Carlos Vela has eight goals in the regular season versus the Galaxy, plus he notched a brace in their only playoff victory against them three years ago.
Cherundolo made just two changes to the side that defeated the Portland Timbers (2-1) as Giorgio Chiellini replaced Jesus Murillo at the back and Latif Blessing was inserted in the midfield instead of Jose Cifuentes.
In his first MLS postseason appearance last weekend, Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond stopped five Nashville SC shots for his first clean sheet since July, while Julian Araujo had the only goal.
Chicharito has led this team in scoring in consecutive regular-season campaigns but has never scored in the playoffs, Samuel Grandsir has a goal and two assists this year versus LAFC, while the only strike for Sega Coulibaly in 2022 came when they defeated the Black and Gold earlier in the campaign.
Riqui Puig and Douglas Costa appeared in their first MLS postseason encounter last week, while Jonathan Perez and Jorge Villafana remain on the sidelines because of knee injuries.
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
Crepeau; Hollingshead, Segura, Murillo, Palacios; Cifuentes, Sanchez, Acosta; Vela, Arango, Bouanga
Los Angeles Galaxy possible starting lineup:
Bond; Araujo, Coulibaly, Caceres, Edwards; Delgado, Brugman, Puig; Cabral, Chicharito, Grandsir
We say: Los Angeles FC 1-1 Los Angeles Galaxy (LAFC advances on penalties)
The Galaxy should be feeling pretty good heading into this encounter against the highest-scoring team in the Western Conference after shutting down Golden Boot winner Hany Mukhtar on Saturday.
Recent history is not in favour of the Supporters' Shield winners, but the Black and Gold have numerous players who have competed in the top competitions for both club and country, and that experience, along with a keeper who has saved six penalties in his career, we believe will be enough to propel them into the Western Conference Final.
For data analysis of the most likely results, scorelines and more for this match please click here.
Top tip
Joel Lefevre
