LOS ANGELES FC v. SEATTLE SOUNDERS FC - MLS CUP QUARTER-FINAL - FIGUEROA STREET, LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA

“…If we shadows have offended

Think but this and all is mended:

That you have but slumbered here

While these visions did appear.

And this weak and idle theme,

No more yielding but a dream,

Gentles, do not reprehend…”

– William Shakespeare

Greetings to my brothers and sisters in Green. It’s a trip down to Mordor– I mean Figueroa Street where the shadows lie. Through sheer grit and stubbornness, we’ve made it this far. Is that a feeling of foreboding in my stomach…or is it just too much caffeine?

What: MLS Cup Quarter-Final, Los Angeles FC v. Seattle Sounders FC.

Where: Figueroa Street, Los Angeles, California.

When: 7:30 p.m. Pacific Standard Time, Saturday 23 November 2024 CE.

At Stake: Although Miami won the league, we do have a chance to win MLS Cup, which would be a nice consolation prize, and most of our supporters will feel like we won the league if we can manage to win it. It’s our last chance for a title this season. If we are defeated, we’ll have been put out of three different cup competitions at the Quarter-Final stage or later by LAFC. Also, should we be defeated, we will have had zero trophies in the past two seasons. Put simply, LAFC have spent their way to supremacy and we haven’t kept up. The real question is, can we play mistake-free Sounders football, and make a bold statement in that it takes more than who spends the most on wages and transfer fees to win in the domestic game?

Where to Watch: MLS Season Pass via Apple TV. I will seriously consider listening to the Spanish language commentary featuring Rodolfo Landeros and Mariano Trujillo, as I find Taylor Twellman insufferable. I wish the simulcast for KJR was available for away matches. I suppose you could try to manually synch it…but I digress.

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

The realist would say, ‘we’ve seen this film four times now, we know how it ends’. The optimist would say ‘you never know how things are going to break in MLS on any given match-day’, and that’s a fair point, as Sounders finished 7th overall in the league yet couldn’t manage to defeat 29th place bottom-dwellers San Jose in two attempts. The point being, statistics and results trick us in to thinking we can predict results in MLS, but you’d pull your own hair out tryin’.

The record against our newfound rivals from the Southland this season is clear to see. They’ve put us out of two cups this season, and are looking to make it three. Their fans would like nothing better, and are licking their chops to jeer us off the pitch and out of their ground. Our supporters are desperate for the paradigm to change. To make it so LAFC are the ones caught out, back on their heels flat-footed, struggling to cope with our attacks, runs, passes, shots, etc.

If you’re making the trip to Los Angeles, try to link up with your brothers and sisters in Green. Tie your scarves proper and look after each other. Be loud. Make them hear you. Make it so you can be heard on Apple TV’s audio board, even though they turn down the crowd noises because they’re terrified they’ll lose sponsors over the odd swear word. Bloody Puritans. Inspire our Boys in Green (or Red, if for some unknown reason we wear the change kit) to victory.

If you haven’t the means to travel to the away match. It’s us, here, in The Evergreen. One of the most beautiful corners of the world. Sky of blue. Sea of green. We’ve got to channel a massive amount of psychic energy, and support the lads as best we can. Press the gain ’til the neighbours complain. It’s pubs and dwellings for stories and tellings. Houses and flats for pints and cats. Pie and chips for boats and ships. And as for West Sound Armada, I’ll see you lot at Crane’s Castle and we’re gonna kick things up to a respectable level, yeh?! Time for us to put the sound in Sounders. C’MON YE!!!

The stage is set for high drama. The players have rehearsed their lines and donned their costumes. The scenery has been painted. The blocking has been blocked. The marks put on the boards. The orchestra is tuning up. Soon the lights will go up, the overture will play, and the curtain will open.

It’s MLS Cup football, under the Saturday night lights at Figueroa Street. Stay on your toes and grasp the settee for support. It’s gonna be a wooly one. GO ON YOU SOUNDERS!!! GET IN!!! SOUNDERS FOR THE CUP!!!

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

If you go by the numbers, there’s not even any point.

But as the old saying goes “That’s why they play the games”.

The Good News

We have a decent amount of quality in our team. Not really any super-stars, capable of taking over a match single-handedly, but a good, solid, skilful, hard-working team, with a good amount of depth in the squad to bolster the side.

If the midfielders can provide a decent through ball, Jordan Morris and Raul Ruidiaz are capable of using their pace to get behind the defence and score goals. On penalties and free kicks, Albert Rusnak is the go-to man.

Sounders literally have the best defence in the league, with goalkeeper Stefan Frei, defenders Nouhou, Jackson Ragen, Yeimar Gomez Andrade, and Alex Roldan. Ably assisted by the likes of Joao Paulo, Cristian Roldan, Josh Atencio, and Obed Vargas should things break down. Our defence conceded eight less goals than LAFC in the league, and defending is what we’re known for. That’s Sounders football. It isn’t pretty, but you can’t reasonably argue the efficacy of it.

Players like Atencio, de la Vega, Joao Paulo, Leyva, Rusnak, Vargas, Leo Chu, Minoungou, Rodrigues, and Rothrock are decent creative players when they use their skills to open up space for others, work one-twos, and/or pass with precision. Will they get the chance to create? How many amongst this lot will actually be in the team come Saturday?

The danger men for Sounders are Jordan Morris (13 goals), Albert Rusnak (10 goals), Raul Ruidiaz (8 goals), and Paul Rothrock if he’s fit (5 goals). Our best playmakers have been Rusnak (12 assists), Morris and Obed Vargas (4 assists each).

The Bad News

I’ll let the results speak for themselves here, it’s not pretty:

LAFC 2:1 SEA

SEA 0:3 LAFC

SEA 0:3 LAFC LC

SEA 0:1 LAFC USOC

(against LAFC: SEA 0-0-4 -8)

We are overmatched. There is an arms race in MLS, in terms of signing star players, and we are being left behind. Gabonese international Denis Bouanga scored 20 goals this season, assisted on 11, and has an estimated transfer fee of €10M. Polish international Mateusz Bogusz scored 15 goals this season, assisted on seven, and has an estimated transfer fee of €8M. Goalkeeper, Hugo Lloris, is a former French international who has won a World Cup title. We don’t have answers for that. LAFC’s tactics are arguably more effective, their football more attractive to watch, and you can make the argument that Steve Cherundolo is better Manager than Brian Schmetzer. Counterpoint: Schmetzer does have the edge in experience, and to be fair, has been in a position, since the days of Dempsey and Martins are long gone, where he has to do more with less, seemingly every season. LAFC pose questions that Sounders as a club, struggle to answer. I take no pleasure in writing this, but it must be said.

As miserable as it is for visiting sides at Royal Brougham Park, so will it be at Figueroa Street for ours. I expect a churning pit of unimaginable noise. To say it’s going to be difficult for the lads is a massive understatement.

It will likely take a mistake-free match to defeat LAFC. It’s possible, we have a decent amount of talent and no one battles harder than our lads. It’s going to take some doing though.

We need disciplined play from our midfield and forward players. We try to create overloads on the wings long after that space has been closed down and crimped, by both the opposition defence compounded by our own players crowding each other. Spacing is key. Creating space for teammates with unselfish runs is key. Disciplined wing play is key. Sharp, quick, and unpredictable ball movement is key. Support play has to be better. Any Sounders player with the ball should have at least two unmarked options to pass to. Movement off the ball has to be better. Set pieces have to be better. The timing and quality of off the ball runs has to be better. Our finishing has to be better. That I have to write any of this, outlines the seriousness of the problems. These are fundamental aspects of football that should simply be understood by professionals, and failing that, repetition of these fundamentals should be a principal focus in training.

The Side I Would Select

It’s pretty clear we have to do something different, as we’ve lost all four matches we’ve played against this lot. I would want to change the formation, and maybe make subs around 50th-60th minute when a player might have an actual chance to make an impact and influence the match. Although it’s a bit late in the year to make dramatic changes, you could do as there were two weeks of training before this match. We’ve tried 4-2-3-1 against this lot and it doesn’t work. Fuck it. Something’s got to change. I would put out a 4-1-3-1-1 shape. LAFC would never see it comin’. Would it work? I don’t know, but after losing all four matches we played against LAFC with a -8 goal difference, I’d say something has to change.

Rationale: Joao Paulo plays in front of the back four as an old skool stopper-centre-half/sweeper, playing destroyer in the role of a #6. As the full-backs are meant to provide the width, the three midfielders would support the attack, with Vargas dropping back into the #8 role when needed to support the defence. Ruidiaz plays as striker, behind Morris, who will use that tank of a body he has, holding as an old style centre-forward, facing away from goal looking for Raul, and the midfielders making late runs near the top of the attacking Penalty Area. Cristian and Rothrock (if he’s fit) can come on to change the match and defensive shape on 50’-60’ if needed.

GK     Frei

LB     Baker-Whiting (Nouhou if he’s fit)

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

DM     Joao Paulo

LM     de la Vega

CM     Rusnak

RM     Vargas

ST     Ruidiaz

CF     Morris

The Side I Think The Gaffer Will Select

Sounders football is played in a certain way. The club and the coaching staff genuinely believe that running that strategy back match after match, disregarding results, is our best chance of winning. Against anyone except Columbus, LAFC, and Miami, I would agree. Expect us to play anti-football, daring LAFC to push up numbers in attack and attempting to counter-attack with pace and skill when we can win the ball. The overarching philosophy being, ‘No, you lot go ahead and attack full-on, we’ll settle for penalties if we have to’. This is what I think we’re likely to see, in the expected 4-2-3-1 shape. I wouldn’t expect changes of any kind, excepting injury or illness.

GK     Frei

LB     Nouhou (if he’s fit)

LCH    Ragen

RCH    Gomez Andrade

RB     Alex

LDM   Joao Paulo

RDM   Cristian

LF     Rothrock (if he’s fit)

CAM   Rusnak

RF     de la Vega

CF     Morris

Intangibles

The Referee for Saturday night’s cup tie is Guido Gonzales Jr.

LAFC results with Gonzales as ref: 3-3-2

Sounders FC results with Gonzales as ref: 1-1-1

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

O’Brien (Nottingham Forest) loan

Marlon (Shakhtar Donetsk) free

Luca Bombino - reserves

Rosales - reserves

Wibowo - reserves

Ochoa - reserves

Vela - re-signed

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

Krastev (Lommel SK) end of loan

Biuk (Real Valladolid) €4M

Fall (FC Barcelona) €2M

Angel (Phoenix Rising) loan

Gonzalez (FC Famalicao) loan

Ginella - released

Romero (Columbus Crew) €45,000

Comparison against common opponents

RSL 3:0 LAFC

LAFC 1:1 RSL

RSL 2:0 SEA

SEA 1:1 RSL

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

LAFC 0:0 SKC

SKC 0:3 LAFC

LAFC 3:1 SKC USOC

SKC 2:1 SEA

SEA 2:0 SKC

(against SKC: LAFC 2-1-0 +5, SEA 1-0-1 +1) edge LAFC

MIN 2:0 LAFC

LAFC 2:0 MIN

SEA 2:0 MIN

MIN 2:3 SEA

SEA 2:0 MIN LC

(against MIN: LAFC 1-0-1 0, SEA 3-0-0 +5) edge SEA

COL 3:2 LAFC

LAFC 3:0 COL

LAFC 4:0 COL LC

SEA 1:1 COL

COL 0:1 SEA

(against COL: LAFC 2-0-1 +6, SEA 1-1-0 +1) edge LAFC

LAFC 2:1 LAG

LAG 1:2 LAFC

LAG 4:2 LAFC

LAG 1:0 SEA

SEA 0:0 LAG

SEA 3:1 LAG LC

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

POR 2:2 LAFC

LAFC 3:2 POR

POR 1:2 SEA

POR 1:0 SEA

SEA 1:1 POR

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

SJ 3:1 LAFC

LAFC 6:2 SJ

LAFC 3:1 SJ

LAFC 4:1 SJ

SJ 3:2 SEA

SEA 2:2 SJ

(against SJ: LAFC 3-0-1 +7, SEA 0-1-1 -1) edge LAFC

LAFC 3:0 VAN

VAN 1:2 LAFC

LAFC 2:1 VAN MLSC

VAN 3:0 LAFC MLSC

LAFC 1:0 VAN MLSC

LAFC 2:2 VAN LC

SEA 0:2 VAN

SEA 1:1 VAN

VAN 0:3 SEA

(against VAN: LAFC 4-1-1 +3, SEA 1-1-1 +1) edge LAFC

STL 0:2 LAFC

LAFC 1:0 STL

STL 1:2 SEA

SEA 2:0 STL

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

LAFC 1:0 DAL

DAL 3:1 LAFC

DAL 0:0 SEA

SEA 3:2 DAL

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

ATX 1:1 LAFC

LAFC 1:1 ATX

SEA 0:0 ATX

ATX 0:1 SEA

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

LAFC 1:5 CLB

CLB 3:1 LAFC LC

CLB 0:4 SEA* *CLB had ½ team and field player as goalie

(against CLB: LAFC 0-0-2 -6, SEA 1-0-0 +4) Data tainted, comparison not possible

LAFC 0:2 HOU

HOU 0:0 LAFC

HOU 2:2 SEA

SEA 1:0 HOU

SEA 0:0 HOU MLSC

HOU 1:1 SEA MLSC

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

Know Thine Enemy

LAFC as they lined up against Vancouver in their 1:0 victory at Figueroa Street on 8 November. This victory won the Round of 16 MLS cup tie and secured advancement to the Quarter-Finals for LAFC.

GOALKEEPER

Hugo Lloris, 37

France (145/0)

Notable Clubs: Nice (72/0), Lyon (146/0), Tottenham Hotspur (361/0), Los Angeles FC (33/0)

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. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

DEFENCE

Ryan Hollingshead, 33

United States

Notable Clubs: FC Dallas (193/18), Los Angeles FC (93/11)

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. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

Aaron Long, 32

United States (35/3)

Notable Clubs: Sacramento Republic (2/0), New York RB (139/12), Los Angeles FC (50/1)

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. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

Maxime Chanot, 35

Luxembourg (72/4)

Notable Clubs: Beerschot (9/0), Kortrijk (82/5), New York City FC (165/5), Ajaccio (21/0), Los Angeles FC (23/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €400,000

Notes: Developed by Nancy and Reims. Won an MLS Cup, and a Campeones Cup with New York City FC. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

Marlon, 29

Brazil

Notable Clubs: Fluminense (81/0), Barcelona (2/0), Nice (23/0), Sassuolo (65/1), Shakhtar Donetsk (12/0), Monza (28/0), Los Angeles FC (5/1)

Estimated Transfer Value: €4M

Notes: Full name: Marlon Santos da Silva Barbosa. Developed by Fluminense. Won a Copa Libertadores and a Recopa Sudamericana with Fluminense. Won a Copa Del Rey with Barcelona. Won a Ukrainian Super Cup with Shakhtar Donetsk. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

Sergi Palencia, 28

Catalonia

Notable Clubs: Bordeaux (25/0), Saint Etienne (6/0), Leganes (71/0), Los Angeles FC (50/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €2M

Notes: Developed by CF Badalona and FC Barcelona. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

MIDFIELD

Lewis O’Brien, 26

England

Notable Clubs: Huddersfield Town (123/8), Bradford City (40/4), Nottingham Forest (13/1), DC United (17/1), Middlesbrough (21/0), Los Angeles FC (9/0)

Estimated Transfer Value: €5M

Notes: Developed by Huddersfield Town. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC. 

Timothy Tillman, 25

United States (1/0)

Notable Clubs: 1FC Nurnberg (6/0), Greuther Furth (80/2), Los Angeles FC (57/8)

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). Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

FORWARD

Denis Bouanga, 30

Gabon (45/11)

Notable Clubs: Lorient (38/10), Strasbourg (18/5), Tours (36/16), Nimes (35/8), Saint-Etienne (97/26), Los Angeles FC (70/41)

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. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

Mateusz Bogusz, 23

Poland (2/0)

Notable Clubs: Ruch Chorzow (32/5), Leeds United (1/0), Los Angeles FC (60/18)

Estimated Transfer Value: €8M

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

Cristian Olivera, 22

Uruguay (11/0)

Notable Clubs: Rentistas (32/6), Almeria (3/0), Penarol (15/0), Boston River (29/10), Los Angeles FC (31/8)

Estimated Transfer Value: €6M

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. Won a US Open Cup with LAFC.

Familiar Faces

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

Squads

LAFC from:

Lloris, Hasal, Ochoa, Marlon, Bombino, Rosales, Long, Hollingshead, Segura, Duenas, Murillo, Campos, Palencia, Chanot, Darboe, Sanchez, Atuesta, Tillman, O’Brien, Bogusz, Olivera, Musto, Martinez, Muller, Vela, Giroud, Kamara, Ordaz, Bouanga, Wibowo.

Sounders FC from:

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

Injury List

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

LAFC -

OUT: Dellavalle (knee).

MATCHDAY DECISION: none.

Sounders FC -

OUT: Castro (adductor), Musovski (quadriceps).

MATCHDAY DECISION: Nouhou (illness), Rothrock (quadriceps).

Discipline

(as listed on mlssoccer.com at press time)

No players are suspended for either team.

Fun Fact

Sounders FC have named the recipients of their team awards for the 2024 season.

Most Valuable Player: Albert Rusnak (10 goals, 12 assists).

Defender of the Year: Yeimar Gomez Andrade.

Humanitarian of the Year: Jordan Morris.

Golden Boot: Jordan Morris (13 goals).