LAFC seeks consistency entering 2nd half of its MLS schedule
At the start. In the middle. And by the end.
For the Los Angeles Football Club, each checkpoint along the way in 2025 means games against the Colorado Rapids.
Beginning Feb. 18 in Commerce City, Colorado, leg one of its opening CONCACAF Champions Cup series, expectations for LAFC were where they’ve been since Steve Cherundolo led the team to the MLS Cup title in his first season as head coach.
High, very high. Internally and externally, the lens to judge LAFC has always magnified results.
Losing 2-1 to the Rapids but grabbing a spirit-lifting late goal in its season debut, LAFC recovered quick, beating Minnesota, 1-0, in its MLS opener and taking care of Colorado by the same score a few days later, part of a strong two-week start that produced four shutouts and arguably the best performance of the 27 games the club has played to this point, a 3-0 domination of Columbus.
Then LAFC slipped, conceding five goals in Seattle before holding on for dear life during arguably the team’s weakest performance of the year, the second leg against the Crew.
Great performances mixed with lethargic ones – consistency or a lack thereof – has been the theme so far for Cherundolo’s final season with LAFC.
“The potential you’ve seen from the group has been great in both directions,” Cherundolo said. “That’s something we need to clean up for the second half of the season in the MLS. We need to have less great performances and more really good performances and certainly less poor performances. Everything needs to balance out a little bit in order for us to reach our goals in the tables that we have and to catch up in points and to put ourselves in a position to play for a trophy. Breeding some consistency in performances but also results is the objective over the last half of the season.”
What will be a differentiator?
“I think it’s really important not to waste any moments,” Cherundolo said. “Moments meaning games you can win. Moments also meaning chances in each game.”
Instead of finishing half the league schedule by May 31 against Colorado at home as originally planned, LAFC rallied past Liga MX giant Club América to claim the final spot in the FIFA Club World Cup. More MLS matches were postponed as a consequence, leaving LAFC (and Inter Miami) with two to four games in hand on the rest of the league.
Due to its Club World Cup berth, LAFC waited a month to play MLS game No. 17, on June 29, a 1-0 home loss to Vancouver.
Based on the initial MLS schedule, LAFC was supposed to reach regular-season match No. 21 by July 5, with a trip to Austin, Texas.
Since the game was postponed due to the catastrophic flash floods that cost the lives of more than 100 people in central Texas, the beginning of the second half of LAFC’s regular season was pushed to Wednesday against the Rapids.
Both on 26 points near the playoff line, Colorado (7-9-5) enters with four more MLS matches under its belt than LAFC (7-5-5).
“When you are in a good moment and winning games, that’s also a great time to have a congested schedule because things are flowing and going in the right direction,” Cherundolo said coming into a stretch of five games in 17 days. “It’s important to get things going, get the ball rolling in the right direction [Wednesday].
“Time is running out and the schedule is what it is. We cannot change that.”
The regular-season finale on Saturday, Oct. 18 – against the Rapids in Colorado – is right around the corner.
COLORADO RAPIDS AT LAFC
When: Saturday, 7:25 p.m.
Where: BMO Stadium
TV/Radio: Apple TV+, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV/710 AM, 980 AM