Los Angeles FC and host Austin FC will look to get back on the winning track when they clash on Saturday night in a Western Conference match.
The teams met in Los Angeles in March, with Austin earning a 1-0 victory.
Los Angeles (7-5-5, 26 points) will travel to the Texas capital after a 1-0 loss at home to Vancouver last Sunday in LAFC’s return to MLS play after three matches in the FIFA Club World Cup.
Los Angeles went 0-2-1 in the group stage of the new international tournament before bowing out, and then succumbed to the Whitecaps, with the defeat snapping a nine-game streak in league play without a loss.
The setback to Vancouver marked the MLS debut of winger Javairo Dilrosun, who was acquired from Liga MX’s Club America last month. LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo has seen the familiarity in the team’s system grow for the talented Dilrosun as he has trained with his new side.
“He has great flashes, and he’s still learning in our system, so there’s still work we need to do in the video room with him and on the training pitch to unlock his full potential,” Cherundolo said. “We’re getting there, but we’re not quite there yet. I still think he can do much more for us, and I’m confident he will.”
Denis Bouanga leads LAFC with eight goals and five assists. The team is in seventh place in the West.
Austin, meanwhile, returns home on the heels of a 2-0 loss in Seattle last Saturday in a game that snapped a two-game winning streak. The Verde had just one shot on goal in the defeat.
“We know we are better team than we showed against Seattle, and for whatever reason we couldn’t meet the standards that we are used to,” coach Nico Estevez said Thursday. “I think the response from the guys has been great. … We are ready to approach this game against LAFC.”
Austin (7-8-5, 26 points) played just three matches in June but has three scheduled between July 5-12, including a U.S. Open Cup quarterfinal match in San Jose on Tuesday.
Austin FC has a league-low 15 goals in 2025 and has been shut out eight times. The club sits in ninth place in the West.
–Field Level Media
