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LAFC gets 1st look at Yevhen Cheberko in friendly win over El Salvador

July 6, 2026

LOS ANGELES — Getting a first taste of game action since Major League Soccer paused at the end of May for the FIFA World Cup, the Los Angeles Football Club welcomed El Salvador for a friendly at BMO Stadium on Sunday.

Playing in front of a few thousand Salvadoran supporters on a sun-drenched afternoon, LAFC cruised 3-0 thanks to goals from Mark Delgado, Jeremy Ebobisse and Ryan Hollingshead.

Each starter for LAFC was no stranger to wearing black and gold, even 28-year-old Ukrainian newcomer Yevhen Cheberko. The fullback made his initial appearance for LAFC despite not being officially added to the roster until the secondary transfer window opens on July 13.

After playing three years with Columbus, where he helped the black-and-gold Crew beat his new team in the 2023 MLS Cup and 2024 Leagues Cup final, Cheberko joined LAFC last month in exchange for a 2026 international roster slot.

Replacing the defensive-minded and offensively limited Eddie Segura in support of star winger Denis Bouanga, Cheberko is expected to hold that role moving forward, said LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos.

As the initial inbound move for LAFC during what could be a transaction-filled window for the front office, pending several potential outbound transfers, Cheberko “has the profile and ability to help us build inside but also kind of joining a little in helping Denis more on that side,” Dos Santos said. “Those little dynamics have been pretty good to see right now.”

LAFC co-president and general manager John Thorrington described fullback as a “position of need” as Sergi Palencia continues to recover from a leg injury sustained before the World Cup break.

“We’re really excited that we were able to get Cheberko,” said Thorrington, who talked up the Ukrainian’s versatility as a left-footed player who is good on the ball, physically strong, quick and fits the team model.

Regarding the way the team is expecting to play over the latter half of the season, Dos Santos said LAFC is doubling down on the principles he laid down in January as the team excelled through the first two months.

Returning to training on June 19 for what is being treated as a second preseason, LAFC hosted El Salvador without South Korea World Cup selection Son Heung-min or Canadians Jacob Shaffelburg, Mathieu Choinière and Stephen Eustáquio.

Son, Shaffelburg and Choinière are expected back by the time LAFC resumes competitive play on July 17 in Carson against the L.A. Galaxy. Eustáquio’s status remains up in the air after LAFC did not trigger a buy option when the midfielder’s loan from FC Porto expired on June 30.

Thorrington said nothing has been decided on that front, but if Eustáquio does not return, LAFC will look to Brazilian midfielder Igor Jesus to round into form as he comes back from ACL surgery last year.

“We hope that it’s Igor who steps back in at the best of his ability,” Dos Santos said, “but that’s still a little bit of a gray area right now.

“He’s still not there, of course, but his start is very promising. It was good to see his start.”

On Sunday, LAFC made wholesale changes from the team that started, leaving 11 new players on the field at the final whistle. However, Venezuelan winger David Martínez, who is training with the team, did not see the field.

Martínez, 20, could be among the possible departures during the summer window.

Last month, Matt Evans and Adrian Wibowo were loaned to FC Wacker Innsbruck, an Austrian second-division team that partnered with LAFC in 2023.

“The rest of what we’re going to do will likely be a force function of what goes out,” Thorrington said. “We have contingency plans at the ready, and we get calls on our guys regularly.”

Players will have one more chance against an opposing team to show the coach if they are picking up the principles that are important to the team — ideas against a low block, aggression in their counterpress, defending as a unit, and taking transition moments — when they host Club Tijuana in a closed-door match at the LAFC Performance Center on July 10.

Orange County Register

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LAFC gets 1st look at Yevhen Cheberko in friendly win over El Salvador

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