The final LAFC home match of the 2023 regular season was memorable for a few reasons. The Black & Gold entered the match in the midst of a 366-minute scoreless run and with the knowledge that a single point would be enough to qualify for the playoffs. When the final whistle sounded, LAFC had gone above and beyond via a 5-1 scoreline, featuring a first-half hat trick from Dénis Bouanga - the only first-half hat trick in LAFC history.
The final home match was also my first at BMO/Banc of California Stadium as a fan. I’ve lost count of the number of matches I’ve covered LAFC from the press box over six seasons. It has to be over a hundred. But until last night, I’d never sat in the stands.
And it was fun! I cheered. There’s no cheering in the press box. I yelled at the ref. There’s no yelling at the ref in the press box. I sat with my good friend Ally and pointed out a pass here, where a player missed a run there, and gasped at near misses. You guessed it, all things you’re not supposed to do in the press box.
I also sat as close to the 3252 as possible without being in the North End. I had a bird’s eye view of a mass of people all living their best lives, enjoying the company of other fans with one purpose: energizing their team and stadium via non-stop support. Watching from the press box is like seeing a masterpiece through a thick plate of glass, it’s still beautiful but not as vivid.
I think I could get used to being outside the press box.
Here are the Takeaways from LAFC’s 5-1 victory over Minnesota United on Wednesday night:
Off The Edge
Despite the 1-0 loss the last time out, I thought LAFC was good decent OK. Against Real Salt Lake, LAFC didn’t score a goal despite having a majority of the ball and creating most of the chances in the match. After getting carved up in transition in Leagues Cup, RSL wanted no part of what LAFC does best and sat deep.
Minnesota adopted a similar game plan, forcing LAFC to beat them with possession. And while the five goals were great, more encouraging was the speed of LAFC’s play.
“We were quite happy with our ball progression tonight from back to front,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said after the match. “The speed of play was a little quicker, the speed of passing was faster. Less touches on the ball, which will increase speed of play automatically. And then the end result, trying to get off the edge and create chances was more of what we like to see and what we’re striving for.”
It was the “trying to get off the edge” that stood out against Minnesota on Wednesday night. Even when an opponent sits deep and compresses the space between the back line and its goal, good teams will still find a way to engineer chances in behind. Against RSL, LAFC wasn’t quick enough in possession and the quality of their chances suffered.
The pass map above shows the key passes and assists of LAFC’s wide players (Bouanga, Cristian Olivera, Sergi Palencia, and Chiqui Palacios) against Minnesota. The left side of LAFC’s attack was busy. But I want to point out specifically where they were able to cause so much trouble.
Notice the clump of activity just inside the left edge of Minnesota’s box. That’s an area of the field teams can exploit to send cutbacks and low crosses behind the opponent, putting the backline under serious pressure facing its own goal. To get to these areas, a team needs control to allow its fullbacks the freedom to get forward and speed of play to attack the compressed spaces. LAFC had both of those things on Wednesday night and was able to “get off the edge” to create higher-quality chances. It was the first time in a handful of games, we’d seen LAFC consistently find runners into this area of the pitch.
Better chances equal goals. And this is the way LAFC can create when teams refuse to give them transition opportunities. But it all starts with speed of play. For LAFC’s sake, hopefully, this was an evolution of what they tried to do against RSL and something they can continue to improve as matches get tighter from here on out.
Hat Trick Hero
For a guy who hadn’t scored a hat trick in his professional career leading up to 2023, Dénis Bouanga sure loves them now.
Bouanga’s first-half hat trick was his fourth in all competitions. He now leads the MLS Golden Boot race with 17 goals.
Even he can improve.
Bouanga is a goal scorer. When he does his job, LAFC is usually in a good spot. But he can still add to his game to help LAFC even when he isn’t scoring. And I think we all know what that is – he’s not a great passer in the final third.
Maybe it was that he already had his goals because Bouanga seemed to be making a conscious effort to set up his teammates. Had Cristian Olivera been sharper in front of goal, he might have scored a hat trick of his own.
Wherever the ball is at Bouanga’s feet, he attracts defenders – two, sometimes three or more. That type of gravity on the pitch can be a powerful weapon. We all know Bouanga can beat his marker and create a goal out of seemingly nothing. But if he improves his ability to find a teammate when the opponent collapses just a small amount, it’ll result in big chances for LAFC.
Control Your Destiny
With the playoffs clinched, it’s all about positioning in the final two matches of the regular season.
While LAFC isn’t where it wants to be, it still controls its own destiny. A win in both its final matches will assure LAFC of home-field advantage in at least the first round of the playoffs. Even a draw and a win might do the trick.
Either way, the work isn’t done. Get results in the final two matches on the road. Build some momentum. And start the trophy defense off right at home.
That’s all that matters now.
Bouanga really is a special attacker. He doesn’t need to make spectacular passes but if he can find teammates like he did tonight, this team is going to score a lot. Oliver’s had some sitters tonight but on a normal night he’s not going to miss all of them.
There are a lot of guys on this team that are good in the pressers, but Ilie is definitely my favorite. He’s clearly smart as a player and a human, but he’s also so earnest and direct. Can’t get enough of him on or off the pitch.
Thanks Vince, it was a beautiful night at BMO all around. Minnesota is not a great team but neither was RSL, so I don't really understand why the stark difference in performance and results. But inconsistency has been the story all year. And sorry about any grief you have been getting over your Chicho, including from myself. I don't think anyone is really disputing your analysis. Its more like what John O'Hara wrote about the demise of another beloved figure - "George Gershwin died on July 11, 1937, but I don't have to believe it if I don't want to."