Los Angeles, California
Make we yarn about LAFC. Na dem dey close their regular season and e dey look like dem dey play their best soccer for the year. Four wins back-to-back don boost their morale, and na serious confidence dey inside the locker room right now. This Sunday, dem go host Atlanta United for BMO Stadium, Los Angeles. Dem dey sit for fourth position for the Western Conference with 15 wins, 7 losses and 8 draws. E get small room to dream bigger, but to keep hope alive, winning for home don turn to must-do.
Who be the people wey dey give LAFC their ginger? Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min na dem! Na dem dey score every one of the team’s last 17 goals. E no don happen before for history, talk less of for this era. Since Son enter the squad for August, dem two don turn LAFC’s heartbeat for attack. Bouanga dey craze, him don find net 23 times for him last 23 matches, plus total of 31 goal contributions this season (23 goals and 8 assists). Na him dey chase Messi for Golden Boot, just dey one goal behind the king!
Son dey sharp too, with 8 goals and 3 assists for him last 8 games. Him dey average goal every 58 minutes, na im be Messi pace again. LAFC don score 60 goals this season, dem be the third-highest scoring team for the league after Inter Miami and Chicago Fire. Even with those two wey don play more games, LAFC dey second for goal differential with +23. Na this balance wey dem dey show for back and front make dem strong.
Coach Steve Cherundolo deur don dey make the squad gel well with new boys like Porteous, Andy Moran and Mathieu Choinière wey don add more depth. With veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris holding down the defense, everything dey flow. LAFC dey ready to secure top-four spot for the West, which go give dem home-field advantage for first round of MLS Cup Playoffs.
But if you turn your eye to Atlanta United, e go pain you. Dem dey jam full crisis mode, sit down for 14th position for Eastern Conference, dem don already lose sight of playoffs. Five wins for 31 games, na wetin fit tell you say this season don scatter. 14 losses, 12 draws, and na only one win for dem last 15 matches, na serious wahala!
Their defense don turn to constant headache. Atlanta don concede 57 goals and score just 37. Even with big names for the squad, dem never find their identity. Away form na complete water; only one win away from home all season, that one na narrow victory over Nashville about a month ago.
For field, individual talent fit shine small, but e no fit cover say the team dey miss chemistry, urgency, and belief. Emmanuel Latte Lath dey lead the team for goals with seven, while Miguel Almirón and Saba Lobjanidze dey share the top spot for assists with seven each. But na serious work dey ground, as they managed 1-1 draw against conference leader San Diego few rounds back, then drop the ball again, losing 2-0 to New England for another flat showing.
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