Know Your Opponent: LAFC - Sacramento Republic FC

Following a thrilling 2-1 victory over Seattle Sounders FC in the Fourth Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Republic FC travel to Los Angeles to face their Round of 16 opponent, LAFC.

Ahead of Wednesday night’s match, get to know Major League Soccer’s newest team: Los Angeles Football Club.

Following a thrilling 2-1 victory over Seattle Sounders FC in the Fourth Round of the 2018 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup, Republic FC travel to Los Angeles to face their Round of 16 opponent, LAFC.

Ahead of Wednesday night’s match, get to know Major League Soccer’s newest team: Los Angeles Football Club.

HEAD COACH

LAFC brought on veteran manager Bob Bradley in July of 2017 as the first head coach in franchise history. A New Jersey native and graduate of Princeton University, Bradley came to prominence managing the Egyptian and United States Men’s National Teams after coaching at the collegiate and professional level for 25 years.

After graduating from Princeton in 1980, Bradley was named head coach of the Ohio University Bobcats soccer program at the mere age of 22. After a pair of seasons with the Bobcats, Bradley moved on to the University of Virginia where he acted as an assistant and scout under Bruce Arena before returning to his alma mater to claim the head coaching position. From 1984 to 1995, Bradley led Princeton to two Ivy League titles and reached the Final Four in 1993.

Bradley’s managing career at the club level began in 1996 when he rejoined Arena at MLS’s D.C. United and secured back-to-back championship seasons with the team. He then went on to manage Chicago Fire in its first season and led the expansion team to a double, besting D.C. United in the MLS Cup, while also defeating Columbus Crew a week later in the 1998 U.S. Open Cup Final. Chicago’s successes in Bradley’s opening season earned him MLS Coach of the Year accolades. He later went on to manage MetroStars in 2003 before joining Chivas USA in 2006, which would prove to be his final season in MLS until joining LAFC ahead of their expansion season.

His tenure at the international level began successfully, leading U.S. Soccer to a Concacaf Gold Cup title in 2007, amassing a 12-5-1 record in his first year as manager. He went on to compile a 43-25-12 record in his 80 games at the helm of the U.S. National Team before becoming head coach for the Egyptian National Team, Norwegian club Stabæk, French side Le Havre AC and Swansea City of the English Premier League.

KEY PLAYERS

Forward Carlos Vela has been at the forefront of LAFC’s opening season, leading the team in goals scored (7) while ranking eighth in the league in the same category. However, Sacramento will not face Vela on Wednesday night as the international is away for World Cup action with the Mexican National Team in Russia.

In Vela’s absence, LAFC will turn to 20-year-old Diego Rossi to lead the team’s scoring efforts. The Uruguayan forward has turned out a club-best six assists for Los Angeles Football Club in his 14 starts, while also ranking second in scoring with five goals in 2018. Signed as the second-youngest Designated Player in MLS history, Rossi electrified Century Link Field on March 4, scoring the first goal in LAFC history against Seattle Sounders FC, in the expansion team’s 1-0 shutout over their Pacific Northwest opponent. The following week, Rossi took home MLS Player of the Week honors for his incredible two-goal, three-assist performance against Real Salt Lake. The forward’s explosive, darting runs are what have made Rossi so effective on the pitch and have continued to prove valuable to LAFC’s front line.

Accompanying Rossi on the pitch will be long-time New England Revolution midfielder Lee Nguyen. Acquired by LAFC prior to the MLS Primary Transfer Window, Nguyen brings a wealth of experience to a young LAFC squad, and ranks fifth in MLS over the past four seasons in combined goals and assists (82). The pacey, possession-oriented player has notched an assist in his six games for LAFC thus far and adds a creative, highly technical element to the club’s attack. The veteran’s best year came in 2014 when he turned in 18 goals, helping the Revs to the MLS Cup final, and finished third in MVP voting.

HOME PITCH

Accompanying LAFC into their inaugural season has been the brand-new, soccer-specific $350 million Banc of California Stadium, which was inducted April 18 in time for the club’s home opener with Seattle Sounders on April 29. The facility hosts capacity crowds of 22,000 and no seat sits farther than 135 feet from the pitch.

LAFC’s 2018 U.S. OPEN CUP

LAFC kicked off their first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup on June 6 with a shutout win over USL side Fresno FC at Banc of California Stadium on June 6. The LA side rode a pair of second-half goals from Rossi and Latif Blessing to a 2-0 victory in front of 7,500 fans.

2018 Season So Far

Through their first 14 MLS contests, LAFC has played to a 7-4-3 record good for third place in the Western Conference standings. Averaging 1.71 points per game, Los Angeles has yet to lose a match at home, going 2-0-3 in regular season play, while also turning in a 2-0 victory in Open Cup action against Fresno FC. After winning their first two games of the season, LAFC suffered a pair of high-scoring losses to LA Galaxy and Atlanta United—the former, featuring the two-goal MLS debut of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. After Atlanta’s 5-0 rout of Los Angeles, LAFC put together their best run of the season going six-straight games without a loss. They closed out the month of May with a loss at Portland and a draw with D.C. United before opening the month of June with a 2-1 defeat at FC Dallas and a 4-3 victory in San Jose.