While playoff-bound Los Angeles FC can improve its standing in the Western Conference, Minnesota United will be out to keep its playoff hopes alive when the teams meet Sunday at Los Angeles.
LAFC (12-9-11, 47 points) secured a playoff spot with a 2-2 draw against the rival Los Angeles Galaxy last Sunday as they recovered from a two-goal deficit. Denis Bouanga got the club on the scoreboard in the 53rd minute, while Leo Walta tied it nine minutes later.
LAFC nearly won the match in stoppage time with two late attempts on goal before the play was nullified when Aaron Long was ruled offside. It was just the second time this season LAFC claimed a point from a match when they trailed by multiple goals.
A determined LAFC side outshot the Galaxy 8-0 over the final 28 minutes and stoppage time with the club now 1-0-3 under interim head coach Xavi Tamarit.
“We can do something in the playoffs for sure,” said Bouanga, who has a team-leading 18 goals on the season. “Some teams don’t want to play against us.”
With two regular-season matches remaining, LAFC are four points out of fourth place in the Western Conference standings, which would come with home-field advantage in the first round of the playoffs.
While Minnesota United (9-12-11, 38 points) can’t clinch a playoff spot Sunday, they can be eliminated through multiple scenarios, the most straightforward of which is a loss or a draw against LAFC. They can even win and get eliminated if Salt Lake beats San Jose, Seattle beats Vancouver and Colorado defeats or draws with Chicago.
Seemingly out of playoff contention after losing all five of their matches in September, Minnesota United gave themselves an outside chance by going 2-0-3 in October, including a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday.
Minnesota trailed 1-0 in the 70th minute before rallying with goals from Anthony Markanich, Mauricio Gonzalez and Kelvin Yeboah, who leads the club with 18 tallies on the season.
“We’re still alive and what I told the guys is that we lost the right to control where we finish in the standings, and we rely on other results, but we can control how we finish (games),” Minnesota United head coach Cameron Knowles said. “How we finished the second half (Wednesday) is how we need to continue into the next two.”
–Field Level Media
