Six days after a disappointing tie against the Seattle Sounders, LAFC tied again at the Banc on Saturday. Since losing to the Whitecaps a few weeks ago, LAFC has one convincing win and two disappointing ties. Saturday’s game against the Chicago Fire had all the makings of a big win to get the Black and Gold back on track.
So Close
In the first half of the game, LAFC struggled to get anything going. Carlos Vela had the best chance of the first half in the eighth minute on a pass from Christian Ramirez that was blocked by a perfectly timed slide from Johan Kappelhof. Another solid chance came in the 27th off a cross that Juan Segura, Jordan Harvey, and Ramirez all got a chance on. Although LAFC dominated possession in the first half (65 percent) and shots, they couldn’t convert that into goals.
In the second half, it was more of the same. There were more opportunities created, but LAFC just couldn’t put it in the back of the net. A goal by Steven Beitashour was called back on an offside call in the 52nd minute. Vela hit the left post just a few minutes later. Overall, it was an extremely frustrating game for the team and the coach, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Playing Down To The Competition
It seems like lately, LAFC has been struggling to play at the level they can play. LAFC is one of the most complete teams in the league. LAFC has the best offense in the MLS and the early season MVP. The Black and Gold lead in goals, assists, and shots on goal, but somehow, can’t seem to find the net.
Why are they struggling with a team who was ninth in the Eastern Conference coming into the game? It seems like they have the tendency to play down to their competition. It’s still very early in the season, but that’s something Bob Bradley and company need to figure out sooner, rather than later.
