LOS ANGELES – Déjà vu.
For the second consecutive year, LAFC demonstrated their experience when it was needed most to end Vancouver Whitecaps FC’s season in Round One of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
The Black & Gold secured a 1-0 victory in Friday night's decisive Game 3, advancing to the Western Conference Semifinals against Seattle Sounders FC after the November international break.
“[Vancouver are] a very well-rounded team, very difficult to beat, and just one of those teams that we match up really not so great against. It's very difficult for us to beat them,” head coach Steve Cherundolo said postgame at BMO Stadium.
“But we have experience in those games. At halftime, our message to the guys was, 'Look, it's 0-0, we didn't play great. But I'm not sure if Vancouver can play much better, and we can.' We know we can do it in bigger games and that's what we saw in the second half. I’m really proud of the guys in their effort in the second half.”
Bogusz's breakout season
Newly-minted Polish international Mateusz Bogusz rewarded his manager’s decision to start him at the No. 9 instead of Designated Player Olivier Giroud by scoring the winning goal as he again prepares to head out on international duty.
“He's a fantastic finisher. You don't score 20 goals if you're not a good finisher. Those are the basics of any attacker on the field,” Cherundolo praised. “Mati also has the ability to play in midfield and so he also has the ability to pass across, to wiggle out of situations, to dribble… All of that he has been able to use in different positions, but it's always going to look the same.
"Credit to Mati: He understands our tactics, he listens, he adapts to them, but he still uses his tools that he has in different areas of the field and I think that makes it very difficult to defend," Cherundolo added. "He took his goal very well. Every touch was perfect.”
In his breakout 2024 campaign, Bogusz has notched 20 goals across all competitions, with his most crucial one keeping LAFC's season alive.
“We had a very good regular season, but the really serious games start now so I’m very happy that I can confirm my performance from the regular season and head the team in scoring the goals,” Bogusz said. “I can’t describe a lot. I'm so, so happy. I still don't know what happened.”
“I didn’t expect 20 goals,” he added. “[There are] still three games, so I hope I can score more.”
Finding a tactical leg up
After tallying zero shots on target in the first half, LAFC shifted formations from 3-4-3 to a more typical 4-3-3. In turn, momentum changed.
“When we play [in a 3-4-3], it's a choice we make to have advantages elsewhere. We couldn't get those advantages on the field in the first half,” Cherundolo analyzed. “All that changed in the second half. I think that taking away the numerical advantage of midfield, or at least reducing it by one, made all the world of difference for us, especially in the second ball game. Once the game got fast, that's kind of up our wheelhouse.”
On the pitch, Aaron Long felt the impact of the formation change.
“Tactically, our coaches were brilliant this game, switching to the 4-3-3," Long said. "I think that formation change leading into the second half helped us a lot, or maybe caught them off guard a little bit, and it really gave us a leg up for that last 45-minute push and kind of changed the game for us.”
Seattle Showdown
With the win, LAFC are the only team to advance to the Conference Semifinals in each of the past three seasons. They will host Seattle on Nov. 23 or 24 in their chase for a third consecutive MLS Cup presented by Audi appearance.
“I see a team that is that has been very, very good to end the season, a team that looks like they're on fire right now in the playoffs,” Long described the matchup with Sounders.
“A ton of attacking weapons, very good on the ball in possession, and their defense will invest in the lead, holding teams to zero. It's going to be a tough match."
