LAFC looks to carry momentum into playoff series against Vancouver – San Bernardino County Sun

From trailing the Galaxy by seven points in mid-September to overtaking their rival on Decision Day for the top seed in the Western Conference, Los Angeles FC is exactly where they’ve been working to be on the march to a third straight MLS Finals appearance Cup.

When LAFC fell apart in the second half at Dignity Health Sports Park in a 4-2 loss to the Galaxy on September 15, they were struggling to recover from the previous month’s run that saw them reach the League Cup final and were running out of reserves you are in process.

After falling to the Columbus Crew, LAFC clawed their way back into league contention and took two of their next 15 points, free-falling in the conference standings as the squad struggled to recover physically and mentally from another second-place finish.

Then came the next chance.

The US Open Cup not only snapped a run of poor results in LAFC’s biggest games, but fueled a late-season rally – making it 15 of 15 points since the domestic title – that shot them to the top of the West for the second time since three seasons under head coach Steve Cherundolo.

“When you start winning one game, two games, the confidence comes back,” said Hugo Lloris, who finished his first season in Los Angeles with 97 saves and tied Charlotte’s Christian Kalina for a league-best 12 clean sheets, including five in a row in the spring during the longest hitting streak in club history.

“You don’t feel the fatigue anymore and that’s how we finished this regular season,” Lloris said. “Now it’s just going to be a new competition and we have to get the best from every player in the team.”

A mix of veterans with playoff experience and in-form newcomers like Lloris and fellow French legend Olivier Giroud make up a deep group of players Cherundolo can rely on as LAFC enter a best-of-three opening round series against a very familiar Vancouver Whitecaps team from Sunday at BMO Stadium.

Vancouver beat Portland 5-0 on Wednesday to exit the wild-card game, ending a four-game losing streak and a season-ending shutout.

“We know them and they know us,” said Sergi Palencia, whose side could face the Canadian side a dozen times over the past two seasons if the series goes the distance.

In three meetings this season, most recently the penultimate regular-season contest at BC Place, LAFC won both MLS contests and earned the point they needed in the League Cup group stage.

Under Cherundolo over the past two years, the Black & Gold are 6-1-2 in all contests against Vanni Sartini’s Whitecaps, including a sweep of the same venue last postseason.

“If it works for you, that’s good,” Palencia said. “You know the players. You know how you can hurt the team. You know their weaknesses. They will surely know our weaknesses. But we know how we want to play, how we want to build. We know how to attack. Then it will be different when we have to play and put our ideas into the game, but for now we know what to do and I think we can do it. We’re very confident and we’re on a good streak and we’re very excited to get into the playoffs.”

Two weeks ago, Game 33 came in the middle of an international window. Vancouver were missing half a dozen players, several of their best, while LAFC arrived in BC without Dennis Buanga, who has tormented the Whitecaps in all competitions, as well as Christian Olivera and Maxime Chanot.

LAFC’s 2-1 win on the scoreboard, with 32-second goals from Mateusz Bogusz and 93rd-minute goals from Ilie Sanchez, made them a solid 8-6-3 on the road and was another moment when the starters and bench delivered the burden of winning together.

“The important thing is that you have at least 20 who are capable and ready,” Cherundolo said, “and it looks like we have that.”