Disappointing seems to be the theme of the season for LAFC in 2024. Not in the, this team is severely disappointing just look at how bad they are, kind of way. Disappointing in the way that continues to give you hope that things will improve overnight. Things going just wrong enough to prevent success, but not so wrong that you feel the need to blow up and start again. Its a bit like being caught in limbo, neither here nor there. Normally, getting a draw against one of the best teams in the league, even at home, would be a good thing. Yet, here we are a few days after its happened, and we think its fair to say the sentiment is disappointment. This was a huge opportunity for LAFC to really kickstart their season that has started slowly to say the least. A chance to escape the mediocracy of midtable and start establishing themselves as contenders this year. Alas, in the end, it took everything they had and a moment of late-match brilliance, just to come away with the point.
#99 in the 95th đźâđš pic.twitter.com/kJ6XrP7MEJ
â LAFC (@LAFC) April 21, 2024
After the match, the team tried to say all the right things. “I think the tie tonight was very important for our minds, for our confidence. It felt like we didn’t give away too many chances to New York” said LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman after the match. “If we lose this game, it would be a tough, tough night for all of us, but we are happy with the tie in the end.” However, he then let us briefly into the way we all presume the team really feels, saying “We still wanted to win at home, so, we kind of feel so-and-so” Honestly, that sentiment perfectly sums up how LAFC’s season has gone so far this year, so-so. Not the most terrible of starts to the season, but far from looking like a team that had reached MLS Cup Finals just a season ago, with aims of getting back there this year.
That is what also makes criticizing them a bit difficult, because this was much of the sentiment throughout last season as the team seemed to sleepwalk through most of the year, until the final push of the season that saw them get up to third place, and reach the Finals. However, as other teams around the league vastly improve, banking on another run like that, is a choice.
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â LAFC (@LAFC) April 22, 2024
There will be time to wax poetic about the season as a whole when we get a few more matches under the belts, so lets jut focus on this past weekend. In fairness to LAFC, they did score three of the four goals on the night, unfortunately one of those goals was into the back of their own net to open up the match. Eddie Segura, who was once one of the more reliable defenders in the back, has struggled to return to that form after injury, and those struggles continued this weekend as an attempt to clear a corner kick, ended with the defender giving the visitors the lead.
It took nearly 60 minutes before LAFC found a response, and it came via penalty. In fact, none of the four goals on the night came from open play. Three were from corners, and this first equalizer for LAFC, by way of penalty. That itself speaks to one of the issues plaguing the black & gold at the moment, finding ways to put the ball into the back of the net.
The possession is there, with the team finishing with 58% of it, so were the shots, racking up 15 shots with six finding their target, but none coming good. As has been the case so far this year, the team struggled to get anything going in the first half of the match, but put on a second half worthy of three points. Again, not necessarily a bad thing, but sleepwalking through the first 45 and hoping to do enough the second 45 is never a proper tactic for success. “The second half response was very good. I think chasing a game like that is difficult against a team that is excellent on the counter and excellent in set pieces” said Head Coach Steve Cherundolo after the match. Chasing games has been another theme of the season so far for the club, which is a big reason this team is currently in
New Identity?
Perhaps this is on us. Maybe this is who LAFC are now. Let’s be real, we think many of us have gotten past trying to hope this team returns to the incredible standard we saw from the 2019 squad, at least as currently constructed, but there was hope this would be a much more fun team to watch. The talent on paper says this should be a club that scores at will, is decent in defense, capable of providing jaw-dropping, drool out the side of your mouth, moments. Yet, we haven’t seen any of that this year. Instead, we see a team that, nine games into the season, is still trying to find cohesion. Even as this gets written, reports are going crazy that a deal has been reached with Frenchman Olivier Giroud, another player the club hopes comes in and gives them something, anything, in what is likely going to be a short stint at the club.
đš Info RMC Sport : un accord total a Ă©tĂ© trouvĂ© entre Olivier Giroud et le Los Angeles FC. En fin de contrat Ă lâAC Milan, il sâengagera Ă partir du 1er aoĂ»t pour un an et demi avec une option dâune annĂ©e et demie supplĂ©mentaire.https://t.co/OJgcla0i4g pic.twitter.com/mOHYZSI51R
â RMC Sport (@RMCsport) April 23, 2024
Maybe LAFC have taken the old Lakers adage to heart in that all that matters is making the playoffs. Not being a one seed, or the best in the West, or even average, just doing enough to get into the postseason, and hope you can flip that switch fast enough to get into the Finals. In just a few short years it feels like LAFC has already reached their “old Kobe” era. No longer the team who will score at will, drop 5 on you for fun then turn around and drop another 4 goals the next night. No longer breaking records or instilling a sense of fear into every opponent. Instead now the team appears human. Having to rework their game, sitting back more while hunting for counters. Relying on set pieces to provide your goal opportunities, unable to find the space in open play.
At the end of the day, the same has always been true about any sports team in Los Angeles, just win. Sure, the season may be ugly, it may feel like the worst dental appointment you have ever had. There might be moments that make you want to punch a hole through your tv, or rip off your LAFC kit like LeBron walking off the court Cleveland, but lets all be honest. If come winter this team is lifting the MLS Cup for a second time, this will have all been worth it. The problem is, we need to see more consistent glimmers of that future, to feel hopeful about it.
Thoughts on the draw to NY and the signing of Giroud? Leave a comment below!