It was a bit of a rude awakening in their first FIFA Club World Cup matchup last time out for LAFC. The team took on Premier League giants, Chelsea FC, and while the performance was valiant with a strong second half, the gap was all too clear on the day. Now, the focus shifts to another team that suffered an opening day loss, Espérance. While a result could keep hopes of advancing alive, a win over the Tunisian side could be the turning point for Los Angeles as they look to bounce back after the loss.
Matchday: #ESTvLAFC
⏰ 3:00 PM PT
🖥️ @daznfootball
🎧 https://t.co/YpxvW8AusN pic.twitter.com/Od2tuNNdIw— LAFC (@LAFC) June 20, 2025
Fellow Group D side Espérance, like LAFC, also suffered a 2-0 defeat when they opened the Club World Cup against Brazilian side, Flamengo. However, unlike Los Angeles, there was never a point for Espérance where you felt like they could get the result. Flamengo had their way with them, limiting them to just five shots, none on target, while keeping 70% of the possession all match. To their credit, there was a very brief spell at the tail end of the match where Espérance looked up for a fight, but by then they were down two goals and it was hard to tell if they had woken up or if Flamengo was content with just riding out the last handful of minutes.
As wide as the talent gap looked at times against Chelsea, LAFC came away from the match feeling proud and slightly disappointed. Not only did they stand toe-to-toe with an English powerhouse, there were moments they actually looked the better side. The biggest issue, was finishing. When it came to the final third the team looked like their start of season selves, where the ideas were there, but execution was lacking. A couple defensive mistakes was all it took for Chelsea to take advantage and secure their win, but it was far from easy. Pushing a team like that, should give LA confidence coming into today. They will be without Nathan Ordaz, who is currently in concussion protocols after a head injury suffered in the first match. While a result would be nice, a win would put LAFC right back into the mix of teams with a real shot at advancing past the group stage which would be a massive overall win for the club. The remaining clubs the team will face, are very similar to clubs in Liga MX in the ways they play. That should be a lot more familiar for an LAFC side that has slayed their fair share of Mexican giants in the past. Today would be the perfect opportunity to really send a message that we aren’t done yet, with an emphatic win in Nashville.
How To Watch
LAFC will play the role of the “home” side this afternoon with kickoff set for 3:00pm PST from GEODIS Park in Nashville, Tennessee. The match will be broadcast live and can be streamed for free on DAZN. LAFC.com will also have radio broadcasts of the match in both English and Spanish.
Thoughts on the team’s chances this afternoon? Leave a comment below!