Telepeer

LAFC has no margin for error in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal with Philadelphia

May 2, 2023

The Philadelphia Union has not defeated the Los Angeles Football Club once during the half dozen times the MLS clubs have squared off.

However with one exception, a 4-1 victory for LAFC at BMO Stadium back in their expansion season, the teams’ subsequent results have all been draws following 90 minutes, a result that would imperil the Black & Gold’s CONCACAF Champions League run if something similar happened Tuesday night.

After securing 3-0 leads on the road in previous Champions League rounds, returning to L.A. tied one apiece makes the second leg of this semifinal anything but a coronation for Coach Steve Cherundolo’s group.

“We knew before the game in Philly started it would be like this,” said LAFC defender Sergi Palencia, who watched from the bench as the Union dictated terms of the semifinal match.

Effectively at halftime of the home-and-away Champions League format, LAFC players and coaches were satisfied with the intense and competitive result but not their performance.

Hosting the Eastern Conference champions again after the epic MLS Cup final last November, LAFC used additional time and space to prepare by skipping a league match against Houston, which the league postponed from Saturday until mid-June.

Intent on playing the way it wants against the Union’s challenging diamond-shaped midfield, LAFC worked this week on positioning, organization and not forcing transition attacks against the heavy weight of their opponent’s high press and vertical, direct offense.

“That’s always a lot to handle for any team,” Cherundolo said before the opening contest. “I felt we dealt with it pretty well. Most of the goals have come off of set pieces. The run of play, not too many. So it’s nothing we don’t know. But it’s much the same as they do with everybody. They don’t have a special recipe against us.”

The Union will be without physical midfielder Jose Martinez, who pulled up late with a hamstring injury and did not travel to L.A.

With or without a full complement of key pieces, the Union has proven capable of consistently scoring on LAFC, which it must do at least once to get level on the crucial away-goal tiebreaker.

Scenarios for advancing are simple.

If either team wins, it will represent Major League Soccer in the CONCACAF Champions League final.

Thanks to Kellyn Acosta’s late equalizer at Subaru Park last week, holding Philadelphia scoreless would be enough to send LAFC through to compete against Leon or Tigres UANL.

Ending 1-1 conjures the specter of another penalty kick shootout to decide a major moment between two of the best teams in North America over the past five years.

Save for a scoreless match or a 1-1 finish, any draw keeps the teams level on aggregate and shifts the defining away-goal edge to the Union.

Said Philadelphia head coach Jim Curtin: “Anything is possible, especially if we score early in L.A.”

The Union’s urgency should deliver an open game with more rhythm compared to the choppy first leg, giving an LAFC side eager to return home, where it played twice during seven matches in April, opportunities to add to its advantage.

“We feel we are also equipped to beat them but it’s gonna take a very, very good performance,” Cherundolo said.

PHILADELPHIA AT LAFC

What: CONCACAF Champions League semifinal (2nd leg)

When: Tuesday, 7 p.m. PT

Where: BMO Stadium

TV: FS1, TUDN

Los Angeles Football Club |

Galaxy, LAFC add U.S. Open Cup games to their already busy schedules

Los Angeles Football Club |

Kellyn Acosta helps LAFC tie Philadelphia in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal

Los Angeles Football Club |

LAFC, Philadelphia expect another heavyweight clash in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal

Los Angeles Football Club |

Dénis Bouanga helps LAFC earn draw with Nashville

Los Angeles Football Club |

Galaxy hosts Austin FC still in search of first win

Orange County Register

News Details

LAFC has no margin for error in CONCACAF Champions League semifinal with Philadelphia

PHILADELPHIA AT LAFC

Related Articles

News

CONTACT INFO

QUICK LINKS

SERVICES

CURRENT NEWS