When a team surges like the Los Angeles Football Club currently is, matches can’t come quick enough.
The same can be said for their opponent at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night, when Minnesota United FC will attempt to sweep the home-and-away regular-season series with LAFC and remain above the hosts near the top of the Western Conference standings.
In Week 4, LAFC put in a poor effort during a 2-0 setback at a blustery Allianz Field. The team’s second loss early in the year came while the group sorted through how to play without Carlos Vela and other major contributors from the previous few seasons.
While LAFC (7-4-3, 24 points) clearly had a ways to go, for the Loons the result meant jumping out of the gate with 10 out of 12 possible points, capping a strong showing in head coach Eric Ramsay’s MLS debut.
Ramsay has brought a consistent five-at-the-back formation, compact lines, an active, athletic attack and a willing desire to press opponents that has Minnesota (7-2-4, 25 points) nine points back of Inter Miami in the Supporters’ Shield race with three games in hand.
Ramsay’s low-risk, high-reward side has made the most of several second-ball chances, getting results for the youngest manager in the league both home and away.
Carrying a 4-1-1 record on the road heading into Black & Gold territory, “it’s been collectively a great effort from them,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “Physically they’re putting up some big numbers, and tireless work from their front three when they play with three attackers. So, well-deserved, and certainly a difficult team to beat.
“For us,” he continued, “matching that intensity is our first and foremost goal. And if we can do that we believe our ideas and quality can make the difference in the end.”
Despite a rough run away from home, LAFC remains in striking distance of Minnesota (a point behind and two spots below in fourth place in the Western Conference) after collecting 17 of 21 points at home and, recently, righting the ship as visitors.
“I think we are more adapted,” said defender Sergi Palencia, who started at fullback in each match since the mid-March meeting against the Loons. “You can tell looking at the results.”
Five straight victories, including a pair this month in U.S. Open Cup competition, pushed LAFC to 8-2-2 overall since the trip to Minnesota.
Consecutive road shutouts in MLS play – the second over the weekend in Atlanta was the club’s 100th win in regular-season play – suggests this time MUFC will get to measure itself against an LAFC team that is on sure footing.
After “kicking ourselves in the butt with silly errors in buildup, which are really difficult to defend,” Cherundolo said, the “defensive performance is directly correlated with our offensive performance, and vice versa.
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“We’ve minimized mistakes with the ball going forward and that has helped our defensive performance as well. And on top of that, of course, having the ability to suffer for 10 to 15 minutes as a group, as a collective and defend set pieces well, are the other components in keeping clean sheets.”
Minnesota has been held scoreless once.
If Hugo Lloris bags his sixth shutout of the season, it will be the fourth straight (in MLS play) for LAFC and the fifth in a row counting a U.S. Open Cup match. The French goalkeeper would surpass Tyler Miller, who went 388 minutes without conceding a goal in 2019 to hold the club’s longest period of scoreless action in MLS play.
MINNESOTA UNITED FC AT LAFC
When: Wednesday, 7:45 p.m.
Where: BMO Stadium
TV/Radio: FS1, Apple TV+ – MLS Season Pass/710 AM, 980 AM, Sirius XM FC
