LAFC: Christian Ramirez can thrive with new club

Christian Ramirez’s move to LAFC turned some heads as the American striker joins an attack-minded team that already has plenty of fire-power. But this is a club at which he can thrive.

The move was coming for Chrisitan Ramirez but it seemed no one knew exactly where he would land. On Monday, we got our answer. The 27-year-old striker was announced as the newest signing for Los Angeles FC.

Ramirez joins LAFC following a less than stellar season to date with Minnesota United. Seven goals in 20 appearances was not the start he was looking for and it appeared at times that the chemistry was not there to supply him with opportunities to score.

His 14 goals in 30 appearances in 2017 can still be matched or bettered in the 2018 season and LAFC should supply him with plenty of opportunities to do so. Ramirez joins a squad full of attacking talent including Carlos Vela and Adama Diomande.

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The California native should benefit from being around natural goalscorers like Vela and Diomande. Additionally, with midfield players such as Benny Feilhaber, Diego Rossi, and Latif Blessing around him, he should get the service he needs to contribute goal-scoring wise.

Unlike Diomande and Maro Urena, Ramirez is a goal-poacher in the box and isn’t one to necessarily try and create things himself. He always seems to be in the right place at the right time when he scores and he could give LAFC a powerful weapon off the bench for this very reason. Throwing Ramirez into the mix in the second half will give opposing backlines another player to watch on the attack.

Could LAFC already be thinking about next year as well? If they end up winning either the U.S. Open Cup or MLS Cup, they would qualify for the CONCACAF Champions League. We already saw what the competition can do to a club like Toronto FC.

LAFC would be the first MLS team to win the regional competition and will surely, like Toronto, prioritise it during the winter months and early part of the season. But problems came domestically for the Canadians, problems that LAFC will need to be aware of. Is Ramirez a part of accruing depth prior to the multi-competition onslaught.

Regardless, they are well suited now for a shot at the 2018 U.S. Open Cup and should be the favorites to win it all. Ramirez adds just another goalscorer to the mix. Both for him and LAFC, this could be a thriving match.