Denis Bouanga believes Los Angeles FC got a much-needed wake-up call when they lost to San Jose Earthquakes, as they prepare to face FC Dallas on Saturday.
LAFC lost 3-1 to the Earthquakes on May 5, but have since won all six of their games in all competitions, keeping a clean sheet in each of the last five.
They extended that run with a 2-0 win over Minnesota United at home on Wednesday and are now just three points behind Western Conference leaders Real Salt Lake in third.
Bouanga has praised the response from LAFC, saying, "I think that losing to San Jose was a good wake-up call for us.
"We are LAFC but every club against us wants to win. The MLS is starting to have good players in good teams. We also have good players, but that was a big wake-up call.
"We've come back with a simple base - the forwards are scoring; the defenders are defending well and that's why we've had six wins and five clean sheets. I'm really happy, and I think everybody else is about the results."
Dallas sit in 12th with just 13 points following a three-match winless streak, including a 3-1 loss on the East Coast against LA Galaxy in midweek.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
Since May 11, all eight goals scored by LAFC in MLS play have been scored or assisted by either Denis Bouanga (three goals, three assists) or Mateusz Bogusz (three goals, one assist).
The only MLS players who had at least three goals and three assists in the month of May were Bouanga and Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta.
Dallas – Patrickson Delgado
All three of Delgado’s goals this season in all competitions have come in Dallas' last three matches.
The Ecuadorian is one of five MLS players currently under the age of 21 with at least three goals in 2024 and one of two of those from outside the United States (also Venezuela’s Kevin Kelsy).
MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC WIN
The home side won all four meetings between Los Angeles and Dallas over the previous two seasons. LAFC has never lost at home against Dallas (W4 D1), winning the last four in a row after drawing the first meeting in 2018.
Indeed, Los Angeles have won six straight matches in all competitions with the last five all being shutouts. LAFC have one longer winning run in team history (seven straight in July-August 2022), but the five straight clean sheets make for the longest shutout streak by the club.
Meanwhile, Dallas suffered a 3-1 defeat to LA Galaxy on Wednesday, their second straight game allowing three goals and the fourth time doing so in league play this season. Over the previous two seasons, the club allowed three or more goals in four total league games (twice in both 2022 and 2023).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC – 57.2%
Draw – 22.2%
Dallas – 20.6%
Colorado Rapids head coach Chris Armas believes his side can break into the top four of the Western Conference ahead of facing the Seattle Sounders this weekend.
The Rapids currently occupy sixth in the standings and have already qualified for the playoffs, but are just three points behind Real Salt Lake in fourth.
Armas’ side have won just one of their last four MLS fixtures, though, with their latest defeat coming at the hands of the LA Galaxy, despite Connor Ronan scoring the opener.
“We are looking forward to Saturday. We’re looking forward to getting right back out there on the pitch here at home in our quest for a top four finish,” Armas said.
“That’s what is on our minds right now. We’re looking forward to Seattle coming here, another top team.
“I’m really proud of my team and how they are going for it. We knew we were facing a really good team who are in first place. It was not the result we wanted, but that is football when you play good teams, the margins are thin, and it is a game we can learn from.”
Seattle, meanwhile, come into the encounter brimming with confidence having now gone five games unbeaten, most recently sweeping aside 10-man Vancouver Whitecaps away from home.
The Sounders are three points ahead of this weekend’s opponents but know a victory is a must if they are to remain in the top four ahead of the playoffs.
With just two games left of the regular season, head coach Brian Schmetzer was not worried about the workload on his players, insisting rotation could be required this weekend.
“If you look at the calendar and you see after this next game, we have a week off before we play Portland, so the team that is playing extended minutes is going to have plenty of opportunity to recover,” Schmetzer said.
“We’re going to go to Colorado and make sure we don’t put anybody at an injury risk and put a strong team out against a very good side.
“Then we’ll play out the rest of the season how we see fit.”
BIG ROAD DUB pic.twitter.com/Dkl4MRKVvX
— Seattle Sounders FC (@SoundersFC) October 3, 2024
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Colorado Rapids – Djordje Mihailovic
Mihailovic’s assist on Wednesday took him to 23 goal contributions this season (11 goals, 12 assists), equalling the single-season club record set by Diego Rubio in 2022.
The American is the only player in Rapids history with at least 10 goals and 10 assists in a single season.
Seattle Sounders - Albert Rusnak
Rusnak scored a goal and recorded two assists in Seattle’s win over Vancouver.
It marked the third time in his last 11 regular season appearances that Rusnak had a goal and an assist in a match after not doing so in any of his previous 93 appearances dating back to 2021.
MATCH PREDICTION: DRAW
The Sounders have recorded 22 regular season wins over the Rapids, more than against any other team since they joined the MLS in 2009. In fact, the only MLS team with more regular season wins over a single opponent in that time is Real Salt Lake, also against Colorado (24).
Including their victory over Vancouver, the Sounders have won 11 of their last 15 regular season matches (D2 L2). This is the third different campaign in which Seattle has won 11 or more times in a 15-game span in league play, joining 2011 and 2018.
Colorado come into the game off the back of a 3-1 defeat to LA Galaxy, their first such result on home soil in 10 matches. It was the first time the Rapids lost a home match by multiple goals since a 3-1 defeat to Nashville SC in May 2022.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Colorado Rapids – 35.1%
Draw – 26%
Seattle Sounders – 39%
'Winning is the best way to defend Man City', says Guardiola
Pep Guardiola believes the best way to defend Manchester City amid their current hearing is by winning games.
An independent hearing into City's 115 charges for alleged breaches of the Premier League's financial rules began last month.
The alleged breaches relate to a period between 2009 and 2018, and City were charged and referred to an independent commission in February 2023 after a four-year investigation.
City strongly denies the charges.
If found guilty, the club could face huge fines, points deductions and possibly even relegation from the top-flight.
Despite the severity of the potential punishment, Guardiola insists his trust in the club remains unbroken.
"I'm part of this club, deep inside of my bones and the best way to defend the club is winning games and doing my job as best as possible," Guardiola said on Friday.
"We cannot misunderstand why I am here, I am the manager, the person at the club who talks more through all the media, to send messages to fans.
"And, of course, I am going to defend my club. I trust [them], since the owner, since the chairman for the relation, the CEO, and all the people working here for many many years.
"I know them quite well, much more than any of you. The best way to defend is by doing our job the best, everyone working here have their own responsibility.
"The rest, of course, there are situations in the eight or nine years, it always is there. Some of them expected, some of them more tough to deal with, but it is what it is.
"No complaints and you do what you have to do. I'm part of this club, not just the manager. I love this club, and it will always be that way."
Guardiola has been at City for nine years, winning six Premier League titles, including the last four in a row, two FA Cups, four EFL Cups, the Champions League, a UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Club World Cup.
He is currently in the last year of his contract and has hinted in recent months that his time at City may soon come to an end.
The fans are set to unveil a banner saying "We want you to stay" during their game against Fulham at the Etihad on Saturday, and the head coach was touched by the gesture.
"They have to bring me the bill. I have to pay for the banner. I don't want to spend money for that reason," he added.
"What can I say? Thank you so much, I fell in love since the first day I arrived here, let's see.
"When it's going to happen, it's going to happen."
Napoli 3-1 Como: Lukaku stars to keep hosts at Serie A summit
Romelu Lukaku continued his fine start to life at Napoli as the Belgian notched a goal and two assists in his side's 3-1 win over Como on Friday.
The hosts found themselves ahead with just 26 seconds on the clock when Scott McTominay was picked out by Lukaku, with the Scotland international firing home his first goal for Gli Azzurri off the post.
But Como would draw themselves level two minutes before the break when Gabriel Strefezza's strike from distance rifled into the bottom corner.
However, Antonio Conte's side needed just eight minutes after the interval to restore their advantage when Sergi Roberto brought down Mathias Olivera, with Lukaku stepping up to net his fourth Serie A goal of the season.
Napoli continued to push for a third goal to secure the victory, with Khvicha Kvaratskhelia going closest but saw his effort saved by Emil Audero.
But the points were sealed in the 86th minute when Lukaku turned provider once again, holding off his marker before slipping through substitute David Neres who slotted home with a fine finish to extend Napoli's lead at the top of the standings to four points.
Data Debrief: Lukaku continues Conte love story
Lukaku has been a player reborn under Conte's stewardship. The Belgian is the player who has been involved in the most goals in his first five appearances for Napoli in Serie A since the Italian top-flight returned to 20 teams (since 2004/05) - three goals and four assists.
He has also managed to better his assist tally for the whole of last season, managing just three in 32 appearances for Roma last term.
McTominay's goal after 26 seconds is the third-fastest scored by Napoli since the start of a Serie A match in the three points for a win era, after Hirving Lozano's goal against Hellas Verona in 2021 (nine seconds) and Ezequiel Lavezzi's goal against Genoa in 2008 (25 seconds).
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