Questions for the defending MLS champs
Let there be no doubt that the Los Angeles Football Club heads into the 2023 season stronger than last year at this time.
Numerous unknowns, especially the impact of replacing the venerable Bob Bradley for neophyte Steve Cherundolo, shaded everything about the state of the club following its first missed postseason.
With the Black & Gold now the defending Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup champions, doubting Cherundolo and LAFC general manager John Thorrington seems like folly, even as they face down the difficult test Major League Soccer provides season over season.
IS CHERUNDOLO GOING TO PUSH ALL THE RIGHT BUTTONS AGAIN? >>
LAFC’S head coach sufficiently answered every question asked of him in 2022.
Loaded for bear, Cherundolo had access to a roster that was two, sometimes three deep at each position. Having reliable contributors up and down the roster allowed the first-year coach to give players time off when needed without sacrificing the team’s ability to pressure opponents into submission.
With the potential for twice as many games and a bench that surely can’t be as dangerous as it was last year, miscalculations
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would be more noticeable and costly as the games pile up.
A versatile set of new additions, however, should still give Cherundolo plenty of options.
“The first year was everything perfect, but it’s impossible to be like all your career. so you will have to pass a tough moment and that’s when you can see a personality of somebody,” LAFC star Carlos Vela said regarding Cherundolo. “Now in that case, we will see how he can react and help the team out of that situation. I think it’s the most exciting situation for him, and, for me, to see how he can react.”
HOW MANY TROPHIES WILL LAFC WIN? >>
The CONCACAF Champions League, U.S. Open Cup, Leagues Cup, Campeones Cup, Supporters’ Shield and, if they qualify for the playoffs, the MLS Cup makes six pieces of hardware up for grabs.
That’s twice as many as an MLS club has won in a single season after Toronto FC became the only threetime winner in 2017.
The last team to repeat as MLS Cup champions was the Galaxy in 2014. The Galaxy also happens to be the last to win backto-back Supporters’ Shields (2010-11).
One MLS franchise, Seattle in 2022, has captured the CONCACAF Champions League.
The simplest road to lifting a trophy is the Campeones Cup, a one-off in Los Angeles later this year against Liga MX champion Pachuca.
The most challenging will be the Supporters’ Shield, considering the realities of an unbalanced schedule and a demanding week-to-week schedule over multiple competitions.
Collecting one trophy might seem disappointing, though it shouldn’t be. Two would be impressive. Any more and 2023 will go down as an astounding success.
DOES LAFC GET AWAY WITH LOSING ‘CHICHO’ ARANGO? >>
Goals will come. They always have. Through five seasons, LAFC has easily outscored any other team in MLS.
Arango, the prime-form and entertaining Colombian, led the way the past 18 months, totaling 30 goals in league competition. Chicho’s transfer to Pachuca was a move LAFC had to make even though no one with the club wanted him to go, and it will undoubtedly be a lot to account for.
French forward Denis Bouanga will be the first option to terrorize MLS defenders in ‘23. He was a force in the preseason and is physically fit enough to play every four days.
Youngsters Mahala Opoku and Stipe Biuk should produce inside a system that has always created quality chances. Opoku, a 21-year-old forward, has shown a knack for making the most of his time on the field. The early reviews on Biuk, a 20-yearold newcomer, have been glowing from the wing.
And, of course, whenever Vela suits up, LAFC won’t be shy around their opponents’ goal.
MUST VELA APPROACH HIS 2019 NUMBERS? >>
LAFC’S soon-to-be 34-year-old captain set absurd records and earned the league’s Most Valuable Player honor four seasons ago by running roughshod over MLS. He still has plenty of help in the attack, but how much falls to him to ensure LAFC maintains its prolific goal totals will tell an important tale.
Vela is on the record saying he needs to score more this year after adopting the role of facilitator last season. Getting his numbers while helping an assortment of players find their way on the scoresheet will again be the mission for the left-footed Mexican, but with more emphasis on finishing.
He flirted with becoming the first 20-goal, 20-assist player in MLS history in 2019. Repeating those lofty stats seems like unreasonable, but that doesn’t mean Vela won’t try so long as he can stay on the field.