Short-handed LAFC rested, ready for Dallas
Add competitive matches during international breaks to Steve Cherundolo’s list of uncanny things about Major League Soccer.
As leagues around the world pause while national teams play, that’s not the case in MLS, which features a full slate today, including an evening contest at BMO Stadium between the Los Angeles Football Club and FC Dallas.
For the Western Conference showdown, Cherundolo can’t call on Denis Bouanga, who joins Gabon in a pair of African Cup of Nations qualifiers with Sudan, or Ecuadorians Diego Palacios and Jose Cifuentes, who are visiting Sydney and Melbourne for friendlies versus Australia.
Denil Maldonado is also with Honduras, though the Central Americans’ two appearances at BMO Stadium mean one of the club’s four call-ups is an option for league play on the weekend.
Affecting the game with his bench has been a Cherundolo trademark since taking over LAFC. With fewer options on a roster that is already a couple players shy of being as deep as the coach wants, the circumstances, he said, “will affect us Saturday, but our starters can get the job done.”
Following a handful of contests over 14 days, ending with a scoreless draw in Seattle last Saturday, LAFC remains one of five unbeaten teams in the league.
Without having to account for a midweek match, LAFC (2-0-1, 7 points) made the most of its days off Monday and Tuesday.
“It’s something this team really needed,” said LAFC center back Jesus Murillo, who has started and finished four of the club’s five matches. “We needed to take advantage of the fact that we can rest and adjust some details that we’ve identified. It’ll be a very important match against Dallas. The team is ready and motivated to come on the field and look for a result.”
While the international absences are expected to be felt, so will the “very good timing” of defender Ryan Hollingshead’s return from a chest injury that was suffered early in LAFC’S 4-0 win against New England on March 12.
Cherundolo should also consider himself fortunate that the U.S. men’s national team did not request mainstays Kellyn Acosta or Aaron Long on its trip to Grenada and Florida.
The same could be said for Dallas manager Nico Estevez, who will not go without Americans Jesus Ferreira and Paul Arriola during the FIFA window.
Ferreira is off to a strong start, tallying three goals in four games. He connected on an FC Dallas (2-1-1, 7 points) game-winner late in last week’s match, giving him 61 MLS goal contributions to tie Landon Donovan for third most by a player 22 or younger.
Saturday also heralds the return of defender Sebastien Ibeagha, who departed LAFC for Dallas as a free agent after winning the MLS Cup and Supporters’ Shield last year.
“It’ll be a little odd to see him out there because he was key in our championship,” said Murillo, who played alongside Ibeagha for all 131 minutes of the final. “We really enjoyed the moments we shared on the field and off the field. It was a great support when he was on the field as well as when he was supporting us from the outside. But that’s how it is. He’s with them. On our side, we’ll continue to defend our crest and our team.”