LAFC @ Seattle Sounders - 2024 U.S. Open Cup Semifinals
Wednesday, Aug. 28 at 7:30 p.m. PT
🏟: Starfire Sports Complex - Tukwila, WA
🖥: FREE on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
📚: 5 Things To Know - LAFC And The 2024 U.S. Open Cup
After suffering a 3-1 defeat to the Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup 2024 Final, LAFC shifts gears to the U.S. Open Cup and a Semifinal matchup with the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday, Aug. 28, at the Starfire Sports Complex in Tukwila, Wash. The winner will play in the U.S. Open Cup Final on Sept. 25 (a match LAFC would host should it prevail).
Wednesday’s knockout match marks the fourth meeting between these two teams in 2024, spanning three different competitions. LAFC has emerged victorious in the previous three encounters, including the most recent one, a 3-0 win against the Sounders in the Leagues Cup Quarterfinals on August 17 at Lumen Field.
LAFC owns a 7W-0L-2D record in its last nine matches against its powerful Western Conference rival, across all competitions. The Sounders' last victory over LAFC came in May 2021, a 2-0 win at Lumen Field.
This is the sixth time LAFC has faced the Sounders in a knockout, winner-take-all match. The Black & Gold is 3W-2L-0D in those games, having met Seattle in the 2019 Western Conference Final, 2020 MLS IS BACK Tournament, 2020 Western Conference Playoffs (Round One), 2023 Western Conference Semifinal, and the Quarterfinal of Leagues Cup 2024.
The Sounders In Depth:
Led by head coach Brian Schmetzer, the Sounders are eager to end their nine-game winless streak against LAFC. Aside from its losses to the Black & Gold on August 17 and July 20 (both by a 3-0 scoreline), Seattle has been in excellent form, with an 11W-1L-1D record in its last 13 matches. The Sounders’ only other defeat during that stretch was to Club Necaxa in the Leagues Cup Group Stage.
The Sounders’ most recent match saw them secure a 3-2 road win against Minnesota United FC Saturday night in MLS regular-season play, with Jordan Morris, Jackson Ragen, and Albert Rusnák providing the goals. Currently, the Sounders sit in fifth place in the Western Conference with 40 points from 26 matches.
To reach the 2024 U.S. Open Cup Semifinals, Seattle has defeated three USL Championship clubs: Louisville City FC, Phoenix Rising FC, and Sacramento Republic FC.
Morris leads Seattle’s attack, having scored 14 goals and provided four assists across all competitions in 2024. Young Seattle native Paul Rothrock has added grit and attacking support to a side that has played without its top offseason acquisition, Pedro de la Vega, for most of 2024 due to injuries.
The Black & Gold Can Win If:
It can navigate the mental and physical hurdles of its Leagues Cup Final loss during this three-day turnaround. LAFC will be playing on synthetic turf at the Starfire Sports Complex, a surface that’s different than the artificial pitch it has become familiar with at Lumen Field, the Sounders’ usual home. Finding its legs enough to assert tactical control over the match will be a key ingredient to LAFC’s success, especially early.
Denis Bouanga, who notched six goals and three assists in seven Leagues Cup matches, is primed to make an impact, whatever the surface, and help his team secure a spot in its second trophy match of 2024.
The adidas x MLS Archive Collection
Celebrating a bygone era - reimagined for today.
The Sounders Can Win If:
They capitalize on LAFC’s emotional and physical fatigue following a tough loss and a short turnaround. The Sounders will likely aim to catch LAFC off guard early, taking advantage of the visitors’ perceived tired legs. Confident and motivated, Seattle is driven by the prospect of becoming the first Major League Soccer team to win five U.S. Open Cup titles. Two more victories stand between them and that historic achievement.
