The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) will begin defending their 2022 MLS Cup title against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, October 28, at BMO Stadium. The two teams played to a 1-1 draw on MLS Decision Day.

Last Saturday in Vancouver, LAFC attacker Dénis Bouanga scored his 20th goal of the regular season to give his team the win it needed to earn the third spot in the Western Conference. The Whitecaps, the tournament’s No. 6 seed, were leveled in the 58th minute thanks to a goal by Ali Ahmed.

This Saturday will be the fifth time in 2023 that these two clubs have met in Major League Soccer and the Concacaf Champions League. LAFC currently has a 2–1–1 record in those contests. Los Angeles Football Club has a 6-5-4 record against the Whitecaps all-time. In eight matches played at BMO Stadium, LAFC has only lost once to Vancouver (4W-1L-3D). The June loss was by a score of 3-2.

IN-DEPTH WAVES AND CAPS

The Whitecaps, led by coach Vanni Sartini, need to win at least one game in Los Angeles to win the series. (Sunday, November 5th, in Vancouver will host Game 2. In case of a third and deciding game, it will be played at BMO Stadium on November 9.

There are many ties between the two clubs that were on full display during Saturday’s controversial 1-1 draw in Vancouver. Before their first season, LAFC made ‘Caps defender Tristan Blackmon their first pick in the 2018 MLS SuperDraft. Blackmon started 64 games for the Black and Gold between 2018 and 2021, and he has started 28 games so far in 2023 for Vancouver in Major League Soccer. Maxime Crépeau, MLS Cup champion with LAFC, made 61 appearances between the pipes for Vancouver in the years 2019–2021. Marc dos Santos, who was in charge of Vancouver at the time, is now an assistant coach at LAFC.

Striker Brian White led the Whitecaps to the MLS Cup by scoring 15 goals and adding five assists in 32 games this season. Ryan Gauld, a midfielder, played in 32 MLS games and had 11 goals and 12 assists. Yohei Takaoka, who has started 33 games in the MLS, made a diving stop in the 90th minute last weekend to keep the score knotted at one.

IF (and only if) THE BLACK AND GOLD

It can take advantage of Vancouver’s porous defense, which has allowed 48 goals in MLS play this season, thanks to the quickness of its forwards. Defenders have had a tough time dealing with wingers Cristian Olivera (12 shots on goal and two goals in 7 MLS starts) and Bouanga. Bouanga and Olivera have combined with captain Carlos Vela (fifth in MLS with 12 assists in 2023) to help LAFC score 10 goals in their previous three games.

A WINNING OUTCOME FOR THE WHITECAPS IS POSSIBLE IF

The away team scores first, or they hold it close and win in the last minutes of regulation time or on penalty kicks. The Whitecaps have proven that they are prepared to fight until the last whistle, so they will need to be able to withstand LAFC’s offensive (LAFC had seven shots on goal last Saturday, while Vancouver only had two) and shut out the intimidating atmosphere inside LAFC’s home stadium.