After a rough start to the month of August, LAFC stabilized a bit with a string of two wins and a draw in its last three matches. The Black & Gold are up to third in the Western Conference, but are in no way guaranteed a spot in the playoffs as of yet. Eight matches remain in the season and points are becoming even tougher to come by.
That brings us to LAFC's third and final trip to Canada in the 2018 regular season. After grabbing three points from matches in Vancouver and Montreal, Bob Bradley's team travels north to face the defending 2017 MLS Cup champions Toronto FC.
Much has been made of Toronto's struggles following its treble-winning season, and yet they find themselves just six points below the playoff line with a game in hand on sixth-place Montreal. Will LAFC make it a perfect 3-0 above the border in 2018? Let's take a look at this Saturday's match against Toronto FC (YouTube TV | 5pm PT):
Where To Watch/Listen
LAFC at Toronto FC, September 1 at 5pm PT
TV: YouTube TV, UniMás 46
Radio: ESPNLA app (streaming only), KFWB 980
Opponent Form
The season has been a mixed bag for Toronto, and that form continued through August. A draw at then top-of-the-league Atlanta United to start the month made some think they might be well placed for a run, but Toronto followed it up with a 3-2 loss at home against NYCFC. A draw against lowly San Jose, after being up a goal, did Toronto no favors. And despite winning 3-1 last Saturday against Montreal, they followed it up with a 2-0 loss in Portland on Wednesday.
What The Team Is Saying
Walker Zimmerman on playing Toronto FC during a desperate point of the season for them: "It's definitely a must-win for them. I'm sure that they are going to come out with some extra energy because of that. They've got a lot of guys who are capable of playing at a very high-level. If they can put all the pieces together, they can be a very dangerous team."
Bob Bradley on the dangers Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco present: "Those guys have hardly played together this year, but they have a great understanding. Jozy is still the one that at certain times can hold the ball up and bring other players into the game. Seba this year has dropped off a little bit more, moved around a little bit more. Obviously, when he gets balls around the goal, he's a real threat. He's a threat on set pieces."
LAFC Projected Starting XI
(4-3-3): Tyler Miller; Jordan Harvey, Walker Zimmerman, Dejan Jaković, Steven Beitashour; Eduard Atuesta, Benny Feilhaber, Lee Nguyen; Diego Rossi, Christian Ramirez, Carlos Vela.
What To Watch For
Toronto On The Brink: Adrift of the playoff line by six points, and with three teams above them in that regard, Toronto can ill afford to drop many points the rest of the season. With that in mind, a draw, especially at home, doesn't help them much either. This is a team with a lot of experience. A high-tempo start from the home side in this match is likely, as they play for their playoff lives. How will LAFC deal with that energy early and can they weather it the way they did against the Galaxy last match to eventually get a foothold?
Rossi Continues His Run Of Form In September: Diego Rossi was by far LAFC's best performer in the month of August. A hat-trick in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal at Houston came after scoring the Club's only goal at the New York Red Bulls. Rossi also got on the scoresheet against Colorado in a 2-0 win. It hasn't just been Rossi's scoring though. As teams have clamped down on LAFC with physical play, Rossi hasn't backed down. The Uruguayan has shown he's not afraid to continue to go into difficult areas, despite the price his body might pay. That mentality will serve him and his side well in the season's closing months.
The Emotional Leader: LAFC played its big derby match against the Galaxy without Laurent Ciman and as rumors swirled regarding his future. We now know the Belgian defender is off to France. Bob Bradley has always said that one player wears the captain's armband but there are many leaders in his team. Ciman brought so much emotion, for better or worse, to the pitch for LAFC. It will be interesting to see who, if anyone, fills that particular void left by the former captain.
