Defense
Diego Palacios – 4
The opening match of 2020 for Diego Palacios was a disappointing one as he was left exposed on a few occasions. He picked up a yellow card in the second half and was subsequently subbed off. His performances should get better as the season progresses, but for now, there’s still much to learn for the 20-year-old. This was one of the first big matches he’s played and it showed.
Eddie Segura – 5
Entering this match, Eddie Segura was going to be a key player to watch as he was going to be the anchor on the backline. He did the best he could for what proved to be a rather disorganized defense when all was said and done. However, he clearly remains the club’s top defender. Not having Walker Zimmerman next to him anymore may prove to be the undoing of LAFC this season.
Dejan Jakovic – 5
Bob Bradley went with Dejan Jakovic as the other center-back in this fixture. There had been speculation Tristan Blackmon may move inside to replace the void left by Zimmerman but it was Jakovic who got the nod. Jakovic was caught out of position a few times and did not have a great performance all around. There were a few moments where he made goal-saving interventions but he dropped too deep, playing Angel Mena onside for the second goal, which may prove to be the decisive moment across the two legs.
Tristan Blackmon – 3
It was not a great showing for Tristan Blackmon at right back. He had a few turnovers and was caught in no man’s land at times, much like Jakovic. His passing was inaccurate and he struggled to deal with Jean Meneses throughout the 90 minutes. Heading into the second leg, he will certainly want to put this performance behind him.
Mohamed El-Munir – 3
A late turnover by Mohamed El-Munir resulted in Leon’s second goal. He entered as a substitute in this match and did not have the impact LAFC needed from him. Hopefully, this is just the early season form showing and not a sign of things to come.