1. First match without Ciman
A big question coming into this match was how the backline would react to the loss of Laurent Ciman. The defender announced he would be moving to Dijon in France after just a few months with LAFC.
Ciman was the club captain, the first ever goalscorer at the Banc of California stadium, and the primary leader and organiser of the LAFC defense. His absence impacted more than just his availability.
The ensuing result was one that the backline must build off of moving forward. It was not a terrible performance by any means but they fell apart late in the match and Toronto almost got a point out of a match that should have been done and dusted.
After investing so much into the attacking unit of the club, we will see how far LAFC can go with the defense it has. It could end up being the defense, not the attack, the determines how far Bob Bradley’s side can go.