LAFC’s record this year against their MLS western conference rivals from Seattle speaks for itself.
The SoCal side are perfect head-to-head against the Pacific Northwesterners, winning all three of their meetings in 2024. That includes two Major League Soccer regular season contests (2-1 on Feb. 24th at BMO Stadium in LA & 3-0 on July 20th at Lumen Field in Seattle) and one in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinal Round (3-0 on Aug. 17th at Lumen again).
LAFC, currently flying high in second place in MLS’ western standings, outscored the Sounders 8-1 in the space of those three wins.
“We have a potent counter-attack if we can get a goal up early,” said LAFC coach and former U.S. Men’s National Team star Steve Cherundolo. “That’s been a recipe for success for us against Seattle of late.”
The Los Angeles-based side managed to go up early on the Sounders in their last two meetings – before rolling on to three-goal shutout wins. Veteran defender Ryan Hollingshead provided a 13th minute opener in the latest Leagues Cup meeting while Denis Bouanga hit a 16th-minute go-ahead goal in the July 20th MLS regular season contest. The tightest game of the three in 2024 came back on February 24th, at LA’s BMO Stadium, but Tim Tillman still opened the scoring for the home side on the stroke of halftime, leading the way to a 2-1 victory.
“A lot of our counter-attacks start by having a very solid structure on the defensive side of the game,” added the LA coach, whose side have a chance to win two trophies this year (MLS Cup and our Open Cup). “There’s no secret to it. Going up early fits into our match plan and if it goes the other way, things could look very different.
“It’s different for us when we have to chase the game,” Cherundolo admitted about his side’s possible kryptonite.
“We are a difficult side to handle and to beat once you go down to us in the scoreline,” said Cherundolo. Sometimes it’s the quality of certain players or a good set piece or just good fortune. But getting up early on Seattle is imperative for us and we’ll try to do it again [in the Open Cup].”
LAFC’s Eduard Atuesta also appreciates the fine margins against Seattle ahead of the Open Cup Semifinal, despite the lopsided head-to-head record and cumulative scoreline this year. “Seattle is a team that can score and hurt you,” the Colombian midfielder said. “You’re always going to suffer for stretches of the game when they have the ball.”
“We’ve had some results against Seattle this year, but we also know how hard it is to get those,” said Kei Kamara, scorer of a crucial second goal in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinal. “Scoring the early goal to put the team in a good position to move on is a good way to do it. We’ve shown we can get results and play good football away from home as well as at home.
“When it’s a Cup game, it’s lose and you go home,” added Kamara, a former U.S. Open Cup winner with Sporting KC. “You want to win trophies, that’s what it’s all about. The mentality is about winning here.”
The contest, a first-ever meeting between the two teams in our historic Open Cup, will be played at Starfire Sports Complex. A far cry from the huge usual home of Lumen Field, where LAFC beat the hometown Sounders 6-0 combined over two games this year, Starfire is a tiny venue with a tricky artificial surface and where the fans are “right down your neck,” according to Rothrock.
“We’re going to have an added level of motivation,” Rothrock said, just days after the Leagues Cup loss to LAFC. “It’s natural to ask a lot more questions after a loss – and we’ll be better prepared for this game because of it.”
It’s the second knockout game the two will play in the space of just 11 days. “The field will work in our favor,” said Rothrock,” who estimates he’s played at Starfire over 200 times in his days in the Sounders academy and with the side’s reserve side, Tacoma Defiance. “It’s a tough place to play and the difference, really, is in the atmosphere.”
Amid the piney wonder of Starfire in Tukwila, all is unwritten. While LAFC have the edge in historic overall meetings between the two teams in all competitions (12 wins to Seattle’s five – with four draws), the Sounders have the advantage, historically, in the U.S. Open Cup, having won the country’s oldest prize on four occasions between 2009 and 2014.
LAFC’s best outing in the Open Cup came in their inaugural year of 2018 when they reached the same Semifinal Round where they find themselves now.
You can WATCH the August 28th, 2024 Semifinal LIVE and FREE on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV (kick-off at 10:30 ET/7:30 PT).A win for LAFC would mean they host the September 25th Final. A Seattle win, combined with an Indy Eleven loss to Sporting Kansas City in the other Semifinal on August 27th, would see the Sounders host.
Maduro is a senior reporter at large for usopencup.com.