Midfield
Francisco Ginella – 6
After representing his country at the South American Olympic qualifying tournament, Francisco Ginella looked like one of the sharpest players on the pitch for LAFC. He did have one scoring chance which he narrowly bent wide of the far post, but his overall play in possession was very tidy and was the only LAFC player to show any semblance of calmness, composure and control on the ball.
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Mark-Anthony Kaye – 5
The usually lively Mark-Anthony Kaye did not show good form in this match. He was unable to generate chances, did not have the usual involvement in the build-up play he normally has, and his passing was woefully errant. His poor giveaway led directly to the first goal, he stumbled over his feet on several occasions and generally looked vastly short of match sharpness — given he has not played all preseason, that is not surprising.
Latif Blessing – 4
Much like Kaye, Latif Blessing was unable to make a big impact on the match. He failed to frustrate the Leon defense when dribbling and he misplaced key passes to release attacking teammates. He will have to do much better in the second leg as LAFC could really use his pace to help break down the Leon defense.
Bryce Duke – 5
Bryce Duke’s first appearance for LAFC was a short one. He replaced Kaye in the second half but had little involvement in the match. He provided good energy, some neat touches here and there, but couldn’t offer the spark and creativity that was needed to break down the Leon defense.