With two games left in the regular season, LAFC have propped open the door in the race for the Western Conference’s top seed.
Overtaking the LA Galaxy might be a long shot, but LAFC’s 3-0 win at Sporting Kansas City Saturday night kept up a flawless run of form heading into the final two regular-season matches.
“All in all, we’re happy,” head coach Steve Cherundolo said afterward. “They were important points for us. A good performance.”
It was the fourth consecutive win for LAFC, including the US Open Cup final victory over the same SKC side on Sept. 25. The Black & Gold are six points behind their rivals with a game in hand and clinched home-field advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 series of the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs.
“For us to keep getting these results is huge,” said center back Aaron Long, who curled home a beauty for LAFC’s third goal. “To go as far as we did in Leagues Cup and to go all the way to the end in the Open Cup, and still be fighting for first place in the league is really tough to do.”
LAFC looked a tired squad after deep runs in Leagues Cup and the Open Cup and were winless in five straight (0W-3L-2D), including a 4-2 El Tráfico defeat to the Galaxy. But the trophy lift in the USOC final appeared to provide a spark for LAFC, who have put together three consecutive wins.
Denis Bouanga has been a key part of this late-season run, scoring in back-to-back matches. While he didn’t find the back of the net Saturday, he assisted on Cristian Oliveira’s goal to give him 30 goal contributions on the season (19g/11a), joining Carlos Vela as the only two LAFC players to accomplish that feat.
But it's far from just the Bouanga show.
David Martinez, the 18-year-old Venezuelan international, has been a revelation and scored for the second time in LAFC’s last three games. Veteran Hugo Lloris made four saves for his 11th clean sheet of the season, setting a new club record.
“It's been fantastic from the whole group top to bottom,” Long said.
LAFC travel to BC Place next Sunday to take on Vancouver Whitecaps FC (7:30 pm | MLS Season Pass) before meeting the San Jose Earthquakes on Decision Day.
Whether they overtake the Galaxy to finish first in the Western Conference or maintain their spot in second, LAFC’s late-season surge has them as one of the favorites in the rapidly approaching postseason.
