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Seattle Sounders Vs LAFC: 3 things to watch for – Western Conference final rematch

By Daniel Garza

Seattle Sounders, MLS, LAFC, Diego Rossi (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images)
Seattle Sounders, MLS, LAFC, Diego Rossi (Photo by Mike Ehrmann/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29: Nicolas Lodeiro #10 of Seattle Sounders reacts to the referees whistle at the end of the game for a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles FC during the Western Conference finals at Banc of California Stadium on October 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – OCTOBER 29: Nicolas Lodeiro #10 of Seattle Sounders reacts to the referees whistle at the end of the game for a 3-1 win over the Los Angeles FC during the Western Conference finals at Banc of California Stadium on October 29, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

1. LAFC need a knockout win

MLS tournaments have not gone well for LAFC in their short history as a club. In 2018, they fell to Real Salt Lake in the MLS Cup playoffs. They then lost to this very Seattle Sounders in last season’s Western Conference final. They have yet to reach an MLS Cup or U.S. Open Cup final.

With recent tournaments not going their way, they have a real opportunity to have their first success as a club in a knockout format. Last year, they proved they can be an unstoppable force in the regular season, but when it comes to crunch time in a tournament-style setting, they have not performed as well.

LAFC are very capable of winning this tournament. But they have also been very capable of winning previous tournaments, and yet they have never delivered when it mattered most. The Sounders, meanwhile, are the opposite. They sometimes limp through the regular season only to come alive in the playoffs.

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Seattle is a stern test for LAFC. Can the Black and Gold take that next step and cement themselves as the elite club in MLS? If they pull off the victory on Monday night, there could be no stopping them.

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