SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC v. LOS ANGELES FC

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. Our free-spending friends from the Southland will be our guests this time ‘round, setting up a clash of the football titans.

What: MLS league match, Seattle Sounders FC v. Los Angeles FC.

Where: Royal Brougham Park, Occidental Avenue, Seattle, Washington.

When: 7:30 p.m. Pacific Daylight Time, Saturday 20 July 2024 CE.

At Stake: This one is about more than just places in the league table. It’s about legitimacy. It’s about whether we are truly one of the best football teams in North America, or perhaps content to be outspent by our rivals. That said, it’s also about places in the league table. If we defeat LAFC we can rise as high as 7th place in the league. Should we be not up to the test, and are defeated, we could fall as far as 13th. Sounders FC are currently in 11th place in the league on 37 points, 13 points adrift of Inter Miami, who have re-asserted their hold at the top.

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. As it’s a home match, the alternate audio of the KJR simulcast will be available in the control layer.

Where to Listen: 93.3 KJR FM and El Rey 1360 AM.

This is one you don’t want to miss. If you have the time and the means, you might want to get tickets to both the senior match and also the Sounders FC Reserves who will play LAFC Reserves at noon at the very same Royal Brougham Park as opposed to their usual stomping grounds in Tukwila. Our lads have won four in a row and are scoring goals by the hat-full. It’s good times and also a preview of the US Open Cup Semi-Final.

We’re feeling larger than life just now. It’s important to continue to project that to the interlopers from Figueroa Street. Sure, you can buy ageing French internationals, but you can’t buy heart. I would say that a demonstration of this would be well in order.

So sick of LAFC crimping us out of points. Comeuppance is due, and we will serve them that cold dish.

Round up your mates and get to the ground. If that’s not in the cards it’s time to gather ‘round the telly at pubs, flats, houses, boats, ships, you get the idea. It’s time to be loud, and stroppy. It’s time to welcome the LAFC to Green Hell.

It’s Sounders FC football, under the Saturday night lights at Royal Brougham Park. It doesn’t get much better than this. GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! GET IN!!!

Before kick-off, please join me in the auld toast: “TO THE SEATTLE SOUNDERS FOOTBALL CLUB…AND VICTORY!!!”

“Magic 8-Ball, can the Sounders FC defeat a top 10 team in the league for the first time this season?”

The Good News

Sounders haven’t lost a match since 8 June in any competition. That’s a record of 6-1-0 in the league. LAFC, in stark contrast, have struggled in their last two matches, a 1:5 humbling by Columbus, and a 1:1 draw against the Salt Lake.

Over the last five matches we’re scoring an average of two goals per match in the league and conceding 0.60 goals per match over the same period. Three league matches in a row we have shut out the opposition. Jordan Morris (9 goals) and Raul Ruidiaz (8 goals) lead the line for Seattle.

LAFC aren’t terribly good away from home. Their away record is 4-2-4. LAFC have away defeats at Minnesota United, Colorado, and San Jose this season.

The Bad News

Over the last five league matches LAFC are averaging 2.60 goals/match. The 1:5 beating administered by Columbus bounces their goals conceded average to 1.80/match. But if you take that result out of the average, they conceded four goals in four matches for an average of 1.00 goals conceded per match.

Our last two opponents have been Austin and St. Louis. Austin being a mid-table side, and St. Louis only two places and eight points above rock bottom. LAFC’s last two opponents have been 6th place Columbus and 5th place Salt Lake.

Sounders are facing the 4th best team in the league in LAFC. This match is a benchmark test. The Sounders FC record against teams currently in the league’s top 10 this season is 0-4-4.

Gabonese centre-forward Bouanga (14 goals) and Polish youth international winger Bogusz (12 goals) are the danger men for LAFC. Our centre-halves will have to up their game just to contain these two.

The last time we beat this lot in the league, it was 16 May 2021. All-time in the league, Sounders FC have a record of 3-4-8 against LAFC.

The Side I Would Select

I want this one so bad I can feel it in my teeth. Rusnak, Rothrock, Alex, Ragen, and Bell all played 90 minutes against St. Louis on Wedensday. Morris, Vargas, and Cristian also played most of the match. Nouhou and Leo Chu both played 64 minutes. LAFC also played midweek with a two-day turnaround. I would run mostly young legs and rested players at them. They’d never see it coming.

GK     Frei

LB     Baker-Whiting

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Baker

LDM    Joao Paulo

RDM   Leyva

LF     Rothrock

CAM   de la Vega

RF     Musovski

CF     Ruidiaz

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

If I think I want this one bad, the Gaffer and the lads must want it even worse. If the training has been light or just film, supplements given to replace lost electrolytes, and we roll the dice on cryo-therapy, I would be willing to bet the coaching staff elects to play something that looks like this. Hopefully there will be no injuries due to overuse.

GK     Frei

LB     Nouhou

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LDM    Joao Paulo

RDM   Vargas

LF     Rothrock

CAM   Rusnak

RF     Cristian

CF     Morris

Intangibles

The Referee for Saturday night’s match will be Allan Chapman.

Sounders FC record with Chapman as Ref: 11-4-6

LAFC record with Chapman as Ref: 6-6-6

General notes on personnel

LAFC transfers IN:

Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur) free

Dellavalle - reserves

Campos (Santos Laguna) €4.6M

Angel (Atletico Nacional) free

Martinez (Monagas SC) €3.2M

Atuesta (Palmeiras) loan

Chanot (AC Ajaccio) free

Kamara (Chicago Fire) free

Muller - reserves

Giroud (AC Milan) free

Musto - reserves

Hasal (Vancouver Whitecaps FC) free

LAFC transfers OUT:

Chiellini - retired

Crisostomo (Tampa Bay Rowdies) free

Gaines - released

Jakupovic - released

Leone (Monterrey) free

Maldonado (Motagua) end of loan

McCarthy (Los Angeles Galaxy) free

Rosales - released

Torres (Tapatio) free

Traore (Phoenix Rising) free

Acosta (Chicago Fire) free

Crepeau (Portland Timbers) free

Palacios (Corinthians) free

Vela - released

Gonzalez (Sporting Gijon) loan

Biuk (Real Valladolid) loan

Krastev (Lommel SK) end of loan

Comparison against common opponents

RSL 2:0 SEA

SEA 1:1 RSL

RSL 3:0 LAFC
LAFC 1:1 RSL

(against RSL: SEA 0-1-1 -2, LAFC 0-1-1 -3) edge SEA

SKC 2:1 SEA

LAFC 0:0 SKC

(against SKC: SEA 0-0-1 -1, LAFC 0-1-0 0) edge LAFC

SEA 2:0 MIN

MIN 2:0 LAFC

LAFC 2:0 MIN

(against MIN: SEA 1-0-0 +2, LAFC 1-0-1 0) edge SEA

SEA 1:1 COL

COL 3:2 LAFC
LAFC 3:0 COL

(against COL: SEA 0-1-0 0, LAFC 1-0-1 +2) edge LAFC

LAG 1:0 SEA
SEA 0:0 LAG

LAFC 2:1 LAG

LAG 1:2 LAFC

(against LAG: SEA 0-1-1 -1, LAFC 2-0-0 +2) edge LAFC

POR 1:2 SEA

POR 2:2 LAFC

LAFC 3:2 POR

(against POR: SEA 1-0-0 +1, LAFC 1-1-0 +1) edge LAFC

SJ 3:2 SEA

SJ 3:1 LAFC

LAFC 6:2 SJ

(against SJ: SEA 0-0-1 -1, LAFC 1-0-1 +2) edge LAFC

SEA 0:2 VAN

SEA 1:1 VAN

LAFC 3:0 VAN

(against VAN: SEA 0-1-1 -2, LAFC 1-0-0 +3) edge LAFC

STL 1:2 SEA

SEA 2:0 STL

STL 0:2 LAFC

(against STL: SEA 2-0-0 +3, LAFC 1-0-0 +2) edge SEA

DAL 0:0 SEA

SEA 3:2 DAL

LAFC 1:0 DAL

(against DAL: 1-1-0 +1, LAFC 1-0-0 +1) edge SEA

SEA 0:0 ATX

ATX 0:1 SEA

ATX 1:1 LAFC

(against ATX: SEA 1-1-0 +1, LAFC 0-1-0 0) edge SEA

Know Thine Enemy

LAFC as they lined up against the Salt Lake in their 1:1 draw at Figueroa Street on 17 July.

GOALKEEPER

Hugo Lloris, 37

France (145/0)

Notable Clubs: Nice (72/0), Lyon (146/0), Tottenham Hotspur (361/0), Los Angeles FC (23/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.2M

Notes: Developed by Cedac Cimiez and Nice. Won Coup de France and Trophee des Champions with Lyon. Won the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Nations League with France. Named Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year three times. Named to Ligue 1 Team of the Year three times.

DEFENCE

Omar Campos, 21

Mexico (1/0)

Notable Clubs: Santos Laguna (109/3), Los Angeles FC (18/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €4.5M

Notes: Developed by Santos Laguna. No known honours.

Aaron Long, 31

United States (35/3)

Notable Clubs: Sacramento Republic (2/0), New York RB (139/12), Los Angeles FC (41/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.5M

Notes: Played his university football for UC Riverside (71/13). Won an MLS League Championship with NYRB. Named USL Defender of the Year in 2016. Named MLS Defender of the Year and MLS Best XI in 2018. Named to CONCACAF Gold Cup Best XI in 2019. Named to CONCACAF Champions League Best XI 2023.

Eddie Segura, 27

Colombia

Notable Clubs: Deportiva Pereira (52/1), Atletico Huila (77/2), Los Angeles FC (101/3)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.2M

Notes: Developed by Deportivo Pereira. Won two MLS league titles and an MLS Cup with LAFC, including the 2022 league and cup double.

Ryan Hollingshead, 33

United States

Notable Clubs: FC Dallas (193/18), Los Angeles FC (83/11)

Estimated Transfer Value: €1.2M

Notes: Played his university football for UCLA (81/16). Won an MLS League Championship and US Open Cup double with Dallas in 2016. Won MLS league and MLS Cup double in 2022 with LAFC.

MIDFIELD

Eduard Atuesta, 27

Colombia (2/0)

Notable Clubs: Independiente Medellin (29/0), Los Angeles FC (117/9), Palmeiras (26/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2M

Notes: Produced by Independiente Medellin. Won a league championship with LAFC in 2019. Named to MLS Best XI in 2019. Won a league championship with Independiente Medellin in 2016. Won Recopa Sudamericana, two Campeonato Brasileiro Serie A, and a Supercopa do Brasil with Palmeiras.

Ilie Sanchez, 33

Catalonia

Notable Clubs: 1860 Munich (24/1), Elche (27/1), Sporting Kansas City (144/7), Los Angeles FC (89/2)

Estimated Transfer Value: €600,000

Notes: Developed by Martinenc, FC Barcelona, Poble Sec, Catalonia, Collblanc, and Cornella. Won a US Open Cup with Kansas City in 2017. Won an MLS Cup and MLS League double with LAFC in 2022.

Timothy Tillman, 25

Germany and United States (1/0)

Notable Clubs: 1FC Nurnberg (6/0), Greuther Furth (80/2), Los Angeles FC (47/8)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2.5M

Notes: Developed by ASV Zimdorf, 1SC Feucht, Greuther Furth, and Bayern Munich. Won a German Supercup for Bayern Munich (as an unused substitute).

FORWARD

Denis Bouanga, 29

Gabon (40/10)

Notable Clubs: Lorient (38/10), Strasbourg (18/5), Tours (36/16), Nimes (35/8), Saint-Etienne (97/26), Los Angeles FC (61/35)

Estimated Transfer Value: €10M

Notes: Developed by SO Maine and Le Mans. Won MLS league and MLS Cup double in 2022 with LAFC. Won CONCACAF Champions League Golden Boot (7 goals) 2023. Named to CONCACAF Champions League Best XI 2023. Won 2023 MLS Golden Boot (20 goals). Named to MLS Best XI 2023.

Mateusz Bogusz, 22

Poland

Notable Clubs: Ruch Chorzow (32/5), Leeds United (1/0), Los Angeles FC (51/15)

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

Notes: Developed by Gwiazda Ruda Slaska, and Ruch Chorzov. Won a EFL Championship with Leeds. Has played for Poland (44/7) at youth levels.

Cristian Olivera, 22

Uruguay (7/0)

Notable Clubs: Rentistas (32/6), Almeria (3/0), Penarol (15/0), Boston River (29/10), Los Angeles FC (27/7)

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

Notes: Developed by Arapey Mendoza, Potencia, Flores Palma, Danubio (AUFI), Cerrito, Danubio, Defensor, and Rentistas. Won a Uruguayan league title and Supercopa Uruguaya with Penarol.

Familiar Faces

Former Sounders FC Coach Ante Razov is a Coach with LAFC.

LAFC and United States defender Aaron Long played for Sounders FC reserves (27/1) in 2015.

Squads

Sounders FC from:

Frei, Thomas, Baker, Bell, Gomez Andrade, Nathan, Nouhou, Ragen, Alex, Baker-Whiting, de la Vega, Joao Paulo, Kitahara, Leyva, Rusnak, Vargas, Morris, Cristian, Leo Chu, Musovski, Rothrock, Ruidiaz, Teves.

LAFC from:

Lloris, Hasal, Romero, Campos, Chanot, Duenas, Hollingshead, Long, Murillo, Palencia, Segura, Atuesta, Bogusz, Musto, Sanchez, Angel, Bouanga, Kamara, Martinez, Muller, Ordaz.

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

Sounders FC -

OUT: Rodrigues (hamstring).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

LAFC -

OUT: Dellavalle (knee), Tillman (leg), Olivera (foot).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

Discipline

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

No players suspended from either team.

Fun Fact

Sounders FC Reserves are currently riding a four-match winning streak. They face LAFC Reserves at 12 noon on 20 July. The same day as the match for the club’s two senior squads. Match to be played at Royal Brougham Park, rather than at Starfire. Intriguing.