TAKEAWAYS | New Faces Get The Job Done

A rotated LAFC side put down the Revolution with a 4-0 victory.

I know many of you are Latif Blessing fans here. I count myself among you. But you might want to look away while I finish this intro - or scroll down to the first Takeaway.

LAFC @LAFC

HIMOTHY TILLMAN.

The tribute video and celebration on the pitch before the match with John Thorrington handing Latif his championship ring was touching. I cheered from the press box. And if you weren’t aware, there’s no cheering in the press box. It was a moment worth breaking the rules.

But with all the talk about LAFC’s depth, there was something apropos about LAFC’s current fourth midfielder Timothy Tillman picking the pocket of its former fourth midfielder before storming forward to put the match to bed with the third of LAFC’s four goals.

While we’re on the topic of offseason questions. What about goals? Yeah, what about them, right?

It’s still ringing in my ears: Who will score the goals?

Just like with Latif, this isn’t a knock on Chicho Arango. But Dénis Bouanga has five goals in his last three halves of football.

There’s nothing wrong with asking these questions. But when repeatedly asking the question becomes quasi-analysis, it’s disingenuous. And really it’s the worst form of punditry. Maybe that’s just me.

Ok, rant over. Let’s break this one down. Here are the Takeaways from LAFC’s 4-0 win over the New England Revolution:

Rotation

LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo made four changes to the lineup he used against Portland and Alajuelense. Safe to say, he nailed it.

Rotation is a balancing act. Changing 40 percent of your outfield players is always a risk. But other than the names on the backs of the jerseys and some subtle differences, the team’s play looked unchanged.

That’s a testament to two things: scouting and coaching.

In the postgame press conference, Cherundolo pointed directly to LAFC’s process for bringing in new players. They scout specific player profiles for specific positions. In other words, if the team wants a new winger that winger is going to play in a similar fashion to Carlos Vela or Mahala. Maybe not to the same level, but you’re not going to see wingers joining the team that thrive on getting to the byline and sending in crosses because that’s not what a winger does in LAFC’s system.

And once those players arrive, they’re coached with a dedication to LAFC’s game model. There’s a repetitive nature to LAFC’s training. It’s less about Plan A, B, and C that can be implemented in any given match and more about executing Plan A to the highest standards.

Beyond that, the players that were brought in all performed to the level LAFC expects. Timothy Tillman was comfortable on the ball and willing to cover a ton of ground. Sergi Palencia balanced his attacking runs with good defensive work against a Revs side that likes to attack using width. Aaron Long was physical and proactive jumping into plays from center back. And Stipe Biuk grew into the match, putting the Revs under pressure with his dribbling and getting a nice reward with the fourth goal.

Two of your lineup changes score and the other two are important in keeping a clean sheet. Cherundolo couldn’t ask for much more following the trip to Costa Rica.

Midfield Puts In A Shift

Going into the match, Cherundolo spoke openly about New England’s physical prowess and use of their outside backs to generate attacks. When you think about how most teams would counteract those characteristics, you’d imagine the wingers dropping to help deal with the opponent’s fullbacks.

LAFC asks a lot of its midfield every match. Against the Revs, they really got after it.

A problem that can arise when you drop your wingers deep is a lack of outlet and threat going forward. Yes, you can thwart offensive fullbacks with this tactic but where do you go once you’ve won the ball?

So, it’s on LAFC midfield to shift and help in wide areas. It’s a lot of running. But it has the benefit of once you win the ball, getting the likes of Bouanga and Biuk running at a disorganized defense.

After the first 15 minutes of the match, the LAFC midfield thwarted the Revs threat down the touchlines. They worked in tandem with the fullbacks to pressure wide players and pass off inside runners. The communication was on point and they had enough in the tank to also drive the team forward.

Knockout Blow

In the 63rd minute, New England head coach Bruce Arena made his move. He sent on three players including former MLS MVP Carles Gil with the score 1-0. Cherundolo countered with three changes of his own. Four minutes later, LAFC had some breathing room when Bouanga netted his second.

But it didn’t end there.

LAFC went a bit bonkers with almost every attack ending with a shot on target. As the rhythm of the 3252 urged them on, it was a sight to see. After the match, Cherundolo said if it wasn’t for the stellar play of Dorde Petković in net for the Revs, LAFC would have had a few more goals.

And yet, they still scored four.

On short rest and after a long flight from Costa Rica, it was inspiring to see LAFC not satisfied. Last season, the Black & Gold made a habit of controlling matches in the first half, only to steamroll teams in the second half.

With all the questions about the team’s depth - see, now you got me referencing the questions - I think it was fair to ask if LAFC would be able to win in that fashion this season.

Sunday night was an emphatic YES to that question.