By Mazvita Maraire Posted on

Three keys to a Sounders win over LAFC

Familiar foes will face off   Saturday evening when  Sounders FC visits BMO Stadium to take on LAFC in a winner-take-all Western Conference Semi-Final round of the Audio 2024 MLS Playoffs. Saturday will be the fifth time the clubs will face off. LAFC has won all four matches. Yes, it’s safe to say familiarity builds contempt. The two sides met last year in the same fixture in Seattle.LAFC beat the Sounders 1-0 at Lumen Field, made it to the MLS  Cup Final, and lost 2-1 to the Columbus Crew.

So, both sides have that revenge factor. The Sounders are looking to beat  LAFC and wake up from the terrible nightmares of   LAFC ‘s dominance.   The Rave Green have  0 wins, eight losses, and two draws against the LAFC, which is on its own quest. A  third straight return to the  MLS Final and grab the MLS Cup, which in their minds is rightfully theirs.

NO FEAR

If the Sounders are to reverse their losing trend, they must be aggressive, intelligent, and clinical. Their aggression must be in both the attack and the defense. In the attack, the Sounders must push the ball upfield with precision and quickness. Cristian Roldan and  Obed Vargas must quickly pick off passes in the middle, win headers, and get the ball to Albert Rusnák, Jordan Morris, Paul Rothrock, or  Pedro De la Vega. Rothrock will be a game-time decision due to a Quad injury.

“Well, we’re not going to shy away. We’re not going to change dramatically who we are,”   said  Brian Schmetzer, Sounders head coach.  “We’re still going to press high on goal kicks, if we have possession in their half of the field, we’re going to counter-press – it’s not like we’re going to change everything. “

 CLINICAL FINISHING  

Because of its lethal counterattack led by wonder striker  Denis Bouanga (28 goals ), Mateusz Bogusz ( 15 goals), Cristian Olivera ( 13 goals), and Olivier  Giroud, LAFC will concede possession.  Jordan Morris will need to bring his finishing boots. Morris led the Sounders with 13 regular season goals and five ass. Morris needs to be creative with his runs and shots in a compact goal mouth.   The same goes for Rusnák, who must be quick and decisive in his decision-making when passing and shooting.

 DISCIPLINE AND AWARENESS

The Sounders finished the regular season with the best defense in MLS, allowing a league-low 35 goals.  The Rave Green continued their defensive mastery, allowing just one goal in their  Round One Playoff series win over the  Houston Dynamo. More impressive was the Sounders penalty kick record. The Rave Green was a perfect 12-0.  Untimely catastrophic errors in the midfield and backline have been the main issue for the Rave Green when playing LAFC.  Yes, LAFC has big-time game finishers.  The Sounder’s lack of awareness in possession has led to costly errors. The lack of understanding is from knowing when to push forward with the ball, pass to a teammate, or hold it and wait for runners.

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