Los Angeles FC can officially book their place in the 2023 MLS Cup playoffs with a victory on Sunday at BMO Stadium versus Real Salt Lake.
With four matches remaining, the Black and Gold are tied with the Seattle Sounders for second in the Western Conference following a 0-0 draw with the Philadelphia Union in their previous domestic affair, while Claret and Cobalt are two points below them in fifth after coming back to defeat the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1.
Match preview
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They are still the third-highest-scoring side in the Western Conference, but lately finding the back of the net has proven to be exceedingly tricky for LAFC, who have been held off the scoresheet in three successive matches in all competitions and four of their previous five games.
Although they have not been clinical in the attacking third in recent matches, the Black and Gold have made up for that with a durable and well-organised backline, posting consecutive MLS clean sheets while conceding the second-fewest goals in the West this year (34).
Throughout the domestic campaign, Steve Cherundolo's men have been at their most dangerous in front of their home fans, netting in all but two MLS contests this season at BMO Stadium and scoring three or more goals on six occasions.
It would seem unlikely for LAFC to miss the postseason as they are currently seven points above the playoff line with four matches remaining, but it would also take a lot for them to reclaim first place in the West as they trail St Louis City by eight points, with the latter having a goal difference of +19, nine greater than the reigning league champions.
With only two regular-season home fixtures remaining in 2023, Los Angeles can only pick up at most 11 victories at BMO Stadium, which would be two fewer than they managed in 2022, while their three home losses this year equals the most-ever for this club in a single MLS campaign.
After defeating the New England Revolution 4-0 on matchday two of the 2023 MLS campaign, the Black and Gold have gone winless in five straight domestic outings against Eastern Conference opponents, scoring a goal or fewer on each occasion.
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It has been a challenging couple of months at RSL, but they got themselves back in the win column last weekend, picking up their first home victory in this competition since July 16 (3-1 win over the New York Red Bulls).
Their victory last weekend was the third time in the 2023 regular season that Pablo Mastroeni had seen his side reverse a half-time deficit and walk away with all three points, and it has them back in the mix for a home playoff game, currently tied on points with the Houston Dynamo (43) but with a significantly inferior goal difference.
Before they can think about that, though, Salt Lake still need to punch their ticket into the postseason and heading into this weekend, Claret and Cobalt are five points above that line and can officially clinch a playoff berth with a victory along with a draw or loss by Sporting Kansas City.
Real Salt Lake have lost four successive away fixtures in all competitions, claiming victory in only one domestic affair since the beginning of July (1-0 over Toronto) while conceding multiple strikes in six of their last seven competitive games.
At the moment, nothing seems to be straightforward for this team who added some experienced attacking pieces before the secondary transfer window closed, though RSL have not delivered much on that front in quite some time, scoring multiple times on only two occasions since exiting the Leagues Cup in the round of 16 versus the Black and Gold (4-0).
Real Salt Lake have lost six of their seven away matches in all competitions versus LAFC, with their only such victory occurring in the 2018 playoffs (3-2), while being outscored 11-3 in their last four visits to BMO Stadium.
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Team News
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Cherundolo added four new faces to the opening lineup in their Campeones Cup final defeat versus Tigres earlier this week from the side that began their encounter against the Union, with Giorgio Chiellini, Ilie Sanchez, Carlos Vela and Denis Bouanga entering the starting 11 in place of Denil Maldonado, Jesus Murillo, Timothy Tillman and Stipe Biuk.
Maxime Crepeau has posted two clean sheets in his last three domestic appearances since recovering from a broken leg, though he was taken off in injury time for John McCarthy in the Campeones Cup final, with the American failing to stop a single Tigres penalty, while Tillman and Ryan Hollingshead each missed from 12 yards away, sending the Black and Gold to a 4-2 shootout defeat following a 0-0 scoreline after normal time.
Bouanga, who is one goal back of Hany Mukhtar, Giorgos Giakoumakis and Luciano Acosta in the Golden Boot race, had a brace and an assist in their 4-0 League Cup triumph versus Claret and Cobalt, with the other goals coming courtesy of Nathan Ordaz and Filip Krastev.
Pablo Ruiz was sidelined from the RSL match against Vancouver with a knee sprain, while Erik Holt missed that encounter due to a shoulder injury.
Second-half goals from Justen Glad and Brayan Vera helped Salt Lake claim victory last weekend as Zac MacMath only faced two shots, collecting his first league victory since the start of September.
Claret and Cobalt have not scored in a match at BMO Stadium since 2021, when Damir Kreilach and Anderson Julio found the back of the net in a 3-2 regular-season defeat, while former LAFC striker Chicho Arango, who joined RSL from Pachuca earlier in the campaign, scored five times against Real Salt Lake when he was a member of the Black and Gold.
Los Angeles FC possible starting lineup:
Crepeau; Murillo, Long, Maldonado; Hollingshead, Sanchez, Acosta, Palacios; Bogusz; Vela, Bouanga
Real Salt Lake possible starting lineup:
MacMath; Eneli, Glad, Vera, Oviedo; C. Gomez, Palacio, Chang, Luna; Rubin, Arango
We say: Los Angeles FC 3-1 Real Salt Lake
The RSL backline look uneasy and overwhelmed when opposing teams run at them, and a frustrated LAFC attack should be able to take advantage of that and bury a few of their opportunities this weekend.
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Top tip
Joel Lefevre
