LAFC meets D.C. United for the first time in Club history on Saturday (YouTube TV, UniMás 46 | 7p PT).
A disappointing 2-1 result last weekend in Portland ended LAFC's run of six matches unbeaten. While D.C. United come into this match off the back of a 3-1 win in San Jose.
Here are the Toyota Keys to the Match for LAFC's match with D.C. United:
Put DC Under Pressure Early
D.C. United defeated the San Jose Earthquakes pretty handily last week, but the still sit at the bottom of the Eastern Conference standings.
Despite the recent win, D.C. is one of the worst teams on the road in MLS. Ben Olsen's team has given up three goals on four separate occasions away from home. With the visitors likely buoyed by their recent win in San Jose, LAFC need to take control early. A quick goal would extinguishing any lingering confidence United is carrying into the match.
Keep Your Build Up Play Tidy
Two of United's goals against San Jose came from pressing high. Granted, San Jose was very sloppy in its own end. LAFC can't fall into that trap with lax passing out of the back.
The Black & Gold are committed to building deep, so they'll have to work to break United's press. And if they do, they should find an abundance of space to run at the D.C. backline.
Send Ciman And Vela Off On A Good Note
Laurent Ciman and Carlos Vela will head to their respective national teams after the D.C. United match to prepare for the World Cup. They'll both be energized to play in front of the home fans before leaving. And the rest of the squad will need to feed off that energy.
LAFC is likely to have a league-high four players in Russia for this year's tournament. What better way to send them off to their national teams than with three points.
