All the pressure is on Los Angeles FC as they host the Vancouver Whitecaps in Game 3 of a Western Conference first-round series on Friday night.
Top-seeded LAFC were supposed to cruise through the best-of-three series but are now locked up in a winner-take-all battle against the eighth-seeded Whitecaps.
The winner advances to the conference semifinals to face the Seattle Sounders. The loser goes home.
LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo isn’t about to make a big speech with the season on the line.
“To be honest, there’s not a whole lot I need to do. The players are very aware of the situation,” Cherundolo said. “We’re a very ambitious team, and if you have ambitions to win something or go as far as you can in a tournament and play to your potential, then you should welcome those moments. And this team has always responded in those moments, and I fully expect that on Friday.
“I see more intensity. I see more focus. I see, in some ways, impatience — which I think are all great signs. I think you’ll see a very focused LAFC who’s going to do everything in their power to win this game Friday night.”
LAFC prevailed 2-1 in the series opener on Oct. 27 at home behind goals from Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera. Ryan Gauld scored for the Whitecaps.
Vancouver evened the series with a 3-0 victory on its own pitch in Game 2 on Sunday. Gauld tallied again while the Whitecaps’ other two tallies were on LAFC own goals.
“We know that we’ve done a good job,” Gauld said, “but we also know that we’ve got a huge task ahead of us on Friday. It could be a very different game. We’ve got to treat it like a new game.”
Vancouver coach Vanni Sartini doesn’t see any reason why his squad can’t find itself celebrating at the conclusion of the match.
“LAFC is the favorite Friday, pure and simple,” Sartini said. “They play at home (and are a) top-three team with the most talent in the league. But upsets can happen.”
LAFC will ride the atmosphere and look for ace scorer Bouanga to make long runs. He tied for second in MLS with 20 regular-season goals before adding one against the Whitecaps on a penalty kick.
“For us, we’re going to have to be offensive, we’re going to have to score goals,” Bouanga said through a translator. “It’s our role to get the tempo of these games and to be offensive.
“Last game we made too many mistakes. It will be completely different this time. We are really focused on ourselves and making it a different game.”
LAFC eliminated Vancouver last season by winning the first two games of a three-game series.
–Field Level Media