Orlando City Vs LAFC: 3 things we learned – Upset city

2. Lessons learned for LAFC

Coming up short in tournaments is becoming a trend for LAFC. They were already at a disadvantage entering this competition without Carlos Vela in the lineup but were still dominant in the group stages. They were pegged as the favorites to take the title.

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However, they were not able to close out the victory against Orlando City, a running theme for a team that has floundered in big matches. Last year, their historic regular season was let down by their loss to the Seattle Sounders in the Conference Final. They lost in the U.S. Open Cup semi-finals to the Portland Timbers and fell in the quarter-finals the year prior when they also lost in the playoffs.

It is a lesson learned for a young squad. The starting XI has just four players over the age of 23. They are still a very young team and they need to be able to learn from these results to translate them into success down the road in this season.

A tournament victory remains elusive as LAFC return to California. When the MLS season begins again, they will once again be the favorites to win MLS Cup. Another opportunity to erase this drought will likely be in the near future, one that they cannot afford to miss.