LAFC is closing out the regular season playing its best soccer of the year. Four wins in a row have lifted the team’s mood, and there’s an easy confidence around the locker room right now. On Sunday, they’ll host Atlanta United at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, sitting fourth in the Western Conference with 15 wins, 7 losses and 8 draws. There’s still a little room to dream bigger, and to keep that hope alive, winning at home has basically become mandatory.
LAFC riding high with Bouanga and Son
It’s no mystery where LAFC’s spark is coming from. Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min have been unstoppable, scoring every one of the team’s last 17 goals, something that’s never happened before in MLS history. Since Son made his debut in August, the two have turned into LAFC’s heartbeat in attack.
Bouanga’s been on a tear, finding the net 23 times in his last 23 matches and totaling 31 goal contributions this season with 23 goals and 8 assists. He’s only one goal behind Lionel Messi in the Golden Boot race. Son’s been just as sharp, with eight goals and three assists in eight games, averaging a goal about every 58 minutes, almost exactly Messi’s pace.
LAFC’s 60 goals make them the third-highest scoring team in the league, trailing only Inter Miami and Chicago Fire, both of whom have played more games. Their +23 goal differential ranks second in MLS, a sign of how balanced they’ve been, strong at the back, dangerous up front.
Steve Cherundolo’s side has also started to gel with its new additions. Porteous, Andy Moran and Mathieu Choinière have fit right in, giving the team more depth. With veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris holding down the defense and the attack in rhythm, LAFC looks ready to secure a top-four spot in the West, which would give them home-field advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Atlanta United trying to find itself amid chaos
For Atlanta United, things couldn’t be more different. The club heads to Los Angeles in full crisis mode, sitting 14th in the Eastern Conference and already out of the playoff picture. Five wins in 31 games tell the story of a season that’s gone completely off the rails. They’ve lost 14, drawn 12 and managed only one victory in their last 15 matches.
Defense has been a constant headache. Atlanta’s given up 57 goals and scored just 37, one of the worst differentials in the league. Even with a few big names in the squad, the team hasn’t found its identity. The road form has been especially rough, only one win away from home all season, a narrow one over Nashville about a month ago.
On the field, individual flashes haven’t been enough to cover up the collective issues. Emmanuel Latte Lath leads the team in goals with seven, while Miguel Almirón and Saba Lobjanidze share the top spot in assists with seven each. What’s missing is chemistry, urgency and belief. Atlanta managed a 1-1 draw against conference leader San Diego a couple of rounds back, but then slipped again, losing 2-0 to New England in another flat, uninspired outing.