Los Angeles FC enter the MLS Cup playoffs as one of the league’s hottest teams, having taken 19 points from their last eight regular-season matches and earning the third seed on the West side of the postseason bracket.
But the one team that claimed a result against them, Austin FC, is the team LAFC have to solve in a best-of-three series that starts Wednesday night in Los Angeles.
In fact, Austin won both fixtures in the regular season, both by 1-0 scores and both off corner kicks from the right side that cashed in for goals.
“Things start over in the playoffs,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “It’s a new scenario. We’ve seen Austin twice, lost to them twice, very similar performances, very similar way we lost each game, and so it should be quite interesting. We have our solutions ready.”
One of them is named Son Heung-Min. The South Korean superstar didn’t play in either match against Austin but has been one of MLS’s best players since joining LAFC in early August. Son has nine goals in 10 matches, forcing opponents to devote attention to him and take their eyes off Denis Bouanga and his 24 goals.
Son and Bouanga both missed the 1-0 defeat Oct. 12 in Austin because they were on international duty for their countries.
Austin coach Nico Estevez said his team hopes to channel its U.S. Open Cup run for the postseason. Austin reached the final of that tournament before losing to Nashville.
“We had a good experience in the Open Cup, and we want to translate that into these games,” he said. “We had two games on the road and won both, so I think those examples could help us in these playoffs.”
LAFC might be full of emotion playing for Cherundolo, who decided earlier this summer he will leave the franchise at season’s end to rejoin his wife’s family in her native Germany.
Game 2 of the series is Sunday night in Austin. If a third match is needed, it would happen Nov. 8 in Los Angeles.
–Field Level Media
