In 2019, the playoff battle between LAFC and LA Galaxy ended dramatically, with LAFC coming out on top, 5-3. The match poisoned the feud between rivals from across the county. In 2022, El Tráfico reached the postseason for an exhilarating second edition.
On Thursday night, the conference semi-final pitted compatriots Carlos Vela against Javier Hernández, eminent El Tri veterans who played against each other in the MLS Cup. The Los Angeles derby showdown played out with friction in front of a packed crowd. Banc of California Stadium, located between ‘Historic South Central’ and ‘South Figueroa Corridor,’ rumbled with anthems as Angelenos represented the ‘City of Angels.’
Finally, LAFC reclaimed its territory, defeating the Galaxy 3-2 in the 17th edition of El Tráfico.
Match Summary: LAFC and LA Galaxy
Galaxy coach Gregg Venney mirrored Steve Cherundolo’s 4-3-3 with an identical formation. Gareth Bale was not available as a substitute due to injury. Unsurprisingly, the match was packed with excitement from frame to frame, with both teams eager to retaliate.
Early on goal, Carlos Vela missed a free kick deflected to the near post. Riqui Puig commanded the midfield while the Galaxy had possession. So, Puig faked a foul in the race. However, the former Barcelona star lost his temper, brushing his forehead against Jesús Murillo after the defender accused him of diving. Puig’s bite granted a warning yellow, which made him play timidly for the rest of the match.
Then, a Galaxy barrage led to a cross from Hernández down the flank. A follow-up attempt from a deflection led to a shot from Samuel Grandsir that tumbled off the crossbar.
However, LAFC notably retaliated in transition. He started a triangular pass with the foot of Eddie Segura to Vela and Denis Bouanga, who blocked the ball creating spaces for the 1-0.
Minutes later, Chicharito made a crack inside the eighteen-yard box, but got under the ball and stuck it in the stands. Hollingshead then spotted Vela with his back to the goal; instead of a one-touch wall pass to Hollingshead for the shot, Vela scrambled. However, the ball deflected off José Cifuentes, who forgot to close his setting shot, a harmless goal attempt that was quickly saved by England’s Jonathan Bond.
However, Galaxy tied the match in the penultimate minutes of the first half. Chicharito’s vertical run put pressure on LAFC’s backline. A poor clearance by Eddie Segura headed the ball on a silver platter for Samuel Grandsir, who buried it behind Maxime Crépeau, capitalizing on Segura’s error, 1-1.
2nd half of the game
LAFC were the aggressors. However, mistimed passes and communication errors prevented any play from coming to fruition. Some combined passes from the Galaxy created space for Puig, who made his second shot on goal, putting Maxime Crépeau to the test. The Canadian goalkeeper made a frantic save after a deflection from a set piece.
As a winger, Denis Bouanga fell back, putting in strenuous defensive work. Left back Diego Palacios was on the lookout, preventing Chicharito from attacking down the flank. By the 75th minute, preemptive defense was the dominant strategy for both Cherundolo and Vanney. Cherundolo ended Carlos Vela’s night in what appeared to be a poorly communicated substitution request.
Suddenly another LAFC triangle attack. This time, Chicho Arango ran into a vector, setting up Ryan Hollingshead on the wing, who crossed to Bouanga for a nanny, 2-1. Once again, Bouanga’s positioning was impeccable as he stayed on the side with precision timing, securing a brace.
But the Galaxy showed their perseverance. First, an unstoppable shot from Dejan Joveljić prompted Crepeau’s manual dexterity, which extended to a spread-legged jump. However, Joveljić’s skillful shot resulted in a scream at the far post, 2-2.
Then a brilliantly placed corner by Kellyn Acosta landed on a Bouanga one-touch attempt, deflected past Chicho, who buried the ball into the roof of the goal, 3-2.
The crowd erupted with euphoria. The quick substitution of Cherundolo replaced Chicho with Giorgio Chiellini. The Italian helped park the bus by creating a block until the final whistle.
Player management and acquisition
In the 2022 season, LAFC ranked sixth in the highest payroll in MLS. Toronto FC took first place and failed to qualify for the playoffs entirely. Additionally, the LA Galaxy ranked second on the roster and came close to qualifying as the fourth seed. Therefore, LAFC has been falsely criticized for flaunting their money with player acquisitions; faulty reasoning suggests that financial backing is the reason behind its success.
Ironically, no player on their list is on the ‘MLS Top 15 Paid Players’ list. However, for LAFC, on-field pedigree and erudite executives resulted in the Supporter’s Shield and a trip to the Western Conference Finals.
Without a doubt, the ‘Man of the Match’ was Denis Bouanga. LAFC signed the Frenchman from Saint-Étienne in the French Ligue 2. Since the takeover, Bouanga had gotten off to a slow start in terms of scoring. However, his athletic prowess came through in every match with brio.
Inevitably, Bouanga would find his groove in the penultimate game of the regular season. His nascent ability continues to show future potential as a silver bullet for LAFC.
a combined anthem
Last month, when B-Real from ‘Cypress Hill’ and Shavo from ‘System of a Down’ released the anthem, LAFC fans cheered with an official theme song. Along with the roar of ‘3252’ ‘Dale, black & gold’, the horde of Los Angeles-raised soccer fans electrified the players with spikes of adrenaline, transmuting the energy into a dogged determination to win the MLS Cup.
With the win over the Galaxy, LAFC advanced to the Conference Finals on October 30, where they will be formidable opponents against the Texas derby winner Austin v. FC Dallas this Sunday.
PHOTO: IMAGO / ZUMA Wire
