Houston Dynamo Vs LAFC: The test of the best
The Houston Dynamo host LAFC on Friday night. For Bob Bradley’s all-conquering team, they must recover from a heartbreaking 1-0 defeat in the U.S. Open Cup two days ago. This is one of the greatest tests of one of the greatest teams.
Los Angeles FC have been the best team in Major League Soccer in 2019. Anyone who says otherwise has simply not been paying attention. But that is only half the story.
Not only has Bob Bradley’s side swept by all in their path with sumptuous ferocity and relentlessness, but they are doing so at a rate and with results that have never been seen in the history of MLS. Should LAFC end the year as they started it, they will have had the best season in the MLS record books.
That is just a glimpse at how marvellously all-conquering LAFC are. And they truly are. But as they return to MLS play on Friday night, they face one of the most unique — and potentially toughest — tests of the season: a trip to the Houston Dynamo.
Ordinarily, taking a trip to the BBVA Stadium is not easy. Houston are excellent at home, winning seven of their ten matches and losing none. LAFC and Seattle are the only other teams to not lose at home this season. But this Friday night excursion is made even more difficult by Los Angeles’ midweek endeavours in the U.S. Open Cup.
On Wednesday night, Bradley fielded what was essentially his strongest side against the visiting Portland Timbers in the quarter-finals of the U.S. Open Cup. LAFC were the incumbent favourites for both the match and the competition, as they will be for every single game and competition this season, but they fell to a dogged Timbers side without creative talisman Diego Valeri. And worst of all: they deserved to lose.
The Timbers created the better chances, were unlucky not to score in the first half, and snatched a merited late winner through Jeremy Ebobisse. So now, two days after suffering their only home defeat of the season to a Western rival they are likely to face in the playoffs, they must go on the road once again to face another Western rival that most certainly have the talent and pedigree to cause problems.
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The Dynamo are not as consistent as LAFC, especially in the midfield and defensive positions, where they do struggle to control matches at times, but they have the best front three in MLS not playing in Black and Gold, and love to rip teams apart on the counter-attack, which is precisely what LAFC will allow them to do, if they allow them to do anything, that is.
Bradley’s team like to exert increasing pressure through extended periods of possession, the excellent central midfield trio providing a calm, controlled and continued foundation for the attacking players to work their magic. This, in turn, leads to a high-pressing defensive scheme that immediately chases down the ball when turnovers are committed. The way to outmanoeuvre this tactic is to be more direct and look to exploit the space at the other end of the pitch, which Houston are happy to do with Alberth Elis and Mauro Manotas leading the charge.
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LAFC have not really been tested all that much this season. Both their MLS losses have been shocks. But Friday night’s trip to Houston will be a huge test, perhaps the biggest of their season.