LOS ANGELES — Exactly eight weeks after meeting in Seattle to launch LAFC’s inaugural MLS campaign, the Sounders will be the first guests in the league’s newest stadium.
In gearing up for Sunday’s Banc of California Stadium opener (9 pm ET | FS1 – Full TV & streaming info), LAFC players took a moment to reflect on the quirk in the scheduling.
“It’s pretty rare to have a home opener and you play one team, then you play them again at your home opener,” defender Walker Zimmerman said. “We obviously spoiled theirs. The bottom line is that they’re going to be coming out for revenge, trying to ruin what is hopefully an incredible day in the city of Los Angeles and for LAFC.”
Seattle forward Will Bruin mirrored the LAFC defender’s comments earlier this week, after the Sounders’ win over Minnesota United last weekend saw them become the final team in the league to pick up a victory in 2018.
“If you look at their past game against Minnesota, I think they found a little more with [Osvaldo] Alonso back, the rhythm of the game,” coach Bob Bradley told reporters after a light training at Banc of California Stadium. “They like to build slowly from the back, they like to spread you out from side to side, have numbers in the middle, and attack in those ways.”
Though LAFC haven’t had much issue finding goals — just Atlanta (17) and Kansas City (20) have scored more than their 16 — only five teams in the league have conceded as frequently (13).
“I think that’s something we need to improve on, getting those shutouts, being a little harder,” said Zimmerman, who missed LAFC’s first three matches through injury but has been a starting center back in the last three. “Grinding out those wins and knowing that, ‘Hey guys, if you put one on the board, we’re going to win,’ and that’s our mentality.”
Both Zimmerman and head coach Bob Bradley recognized Seattle having Alonso and possibly Chad Marshall available this time will improve the visiting side. But along with the availability of Zimmerman, LAFC have Egyptian international Omar Gaber on the team sheet this time around.
All four players missed the March 4 meeting, which LAFC won 1-0 on an early Diego Rossi goal that sent the traveling black-and-gold fans into delirium.
“It’s going to be rocking,” Zimmerman said of the atmosphere he expects Sunday. “We’ve already seen how incredible our supporters have been on the road, just picture the standing room only section and picture all the different lounges and seats filled up. It’s going to be crazy.”
Bradley sees it as his team’s responsibility to use that fervor to the fullest.
“Every team wants to get its supporters on its side with football with energy, so that together, it becomes a difficult place for opponents,” the veteran coach said. “We look around today and as beautiful as it is, it’s not filled yet. So now when you put people and noise and passion in here, it’s just going to be incredible.”
Whatever the result, Zimmerman expects LAFC players to take in the gravity of the occasion beforehand.
“I think we will all take time in warm-ups for sure just to look around briefly just to capture it and remember it,” he said. “It’s a cool thing for us, that we get to be the first ones and to represent this new club, so I’m sure we will do that in warm-ups. Then during the game, our competitive nature will take over and we’ll just focus on business.”
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