Match of the Week Preview: LAFC vs New York Red Bulls
Two of the best clubs in MLS are set to square off this weekend in LA as the #1 team in the West will host the #2 team in the East. LAFC will host the New York Red Bulls on Sunday afternoon in a match that will headline another full week of MLS action.
There are other exciting matchups this weekend such as New York City FC-Philadelphia Union and Austin FC-FC Dallas, but I believe that LAFC vs. New York Red Bulls is the most exciting matchup of the weekend, and one worthy of a preview. This should be a fantastic matchup of two of the best defenses in the league, as well as two very talented teams.
LAFC is currently leading the way in the Western Conference (and the Supporter’s Shield race as well) with 30 points. They are currently 2 points clear of Real Salt Lake in the West. New York comes into the matchup tied for 2nd in the East with 26 points. NYRB is tied with Philadelphia for 2nd, and both teams trail NYRB’s rival New York City FC by 1 point atop the Eastern Conference table.
Match Details
When: Sunday, June 26th at 3:00 pm Eastern.
Where: Banc of California Stadium (Los Angeles, California))
How to Watch: ABC, ESPN Deportes
Players to Watch:
LAFC:
- F Carlos Vela
- MF Jose Cifuentes
- D Diego Palacios
New York Red Bulls:
- MF Lewis Morgan
- MF Luquinhas
- D Sean Nealis
Carlos Vela has once again been one of the best attacking players in MLS this season. He has 6 goals and 3 assists on the season, plus is completing 79.3% of his passes. He is also tied for 6th in the league with 33 key passes. The 2019 league MVP isn’t producing quite like he did then, but is still very productive and dangerous. He is also working back from an injury which is why he’s been working as a sub recently. Vela is also in an interesting place in his career as his time in LA might be drawing to a close. There have been rumors linking Vela to a move to Liga MX or Spain amid contract issues between him and LAFC, according to MLSsoccer.com. While we don’t know what Vela’s future holds, we do know that he’s an offensive threat as long he’s still playing for LAFC.
Lewis Morgan has been a fantastic addition for New York after they acquired him this past offseason, and has become arguably their best player overall and one of the better players in the league. He has 7 goals on the year, and has added 2 assists as well. Morgan has also added 23 key passes to lead the team, and has also won 19 tackles. He has been a key reason why the Red Bulls have started this season so strongly.
Cifuentes is a key passer for LAFC in the midfield. He has 3 goals and 3 assists on the year, but he is also completing 81.6% of his passes. He has also added 12 key passes, and has won an impressive 143 duels. Palacios has been arguably LAFC’s best defender this season. He has won a team-leading 173 duels this year at a 50.9% clip. He has also made 22 interceptions and is completing 84.1% of his passes.
Luquinhas has also been a crucial piece in the midfield for NYRB. He has put 5 goals into the back of the net and has also added 2 assists. He is completing 72.3% of his passes. He’s also scored some fantastic looking goals as some of his 5. I believe New York is going to have to score to get a point out of this match. If they’re going to do that, then they will need Luquinhas to pay well.
Nealis has been a very strong centerback for NYRB this season. In fact you could make the argument that he’s been just as good, if not better than his CB-mate and USMNT CB candidate Aaron Long. Nealis has won 65.3% of his aerial duels, has won 196 total duels (7th in the league) at a rate of 60.2%, and has made 22 interceptions (2nd on the team). If New York is going to limit LAFC’s potent offense then they need Nealis to continue to play at the high level he has.
As previously mentioned, these are two of the best defenses in the league this season. These two squads are tied with each other for having the 5th best defense in the league, both teams having allowed just 17 goals on the year. It will be difficult for the 2 teams to score on each other, even though they have 2 strong offenses.
The strength for LAFC however is their offense. They lead the league in goals with 30, and they’re led by the likes of Vela up top. LA is also top 5 in the league in team key passes with 145, showing off their passing ability. LAFC is a very talented team up top who have the ability to score multiple goals in almost any match, even against a strong defense like the Red Bulls’.
NYRB is also very balanced though. They come in with the 5th ranked offense with 26 goals on the year. Being as balanced as New York is, is extremely difficult. In fact, only 3 teams in the league are top 5 in both most goals scored and least goals allowed. LAFC and New York Red Bulls are 2 of those 3.
The battle I’m most looking forward to in this one is seeing how New York’s centerback tandem of Nealis and Aaron Long (which is arguably the best CB tandem in the league) handle this potent LAFC attack. That should be a battle of strength vs strength and if either squad is able to grab an advantage in that battle then it could mean the difference in the match. NYRB is 2nd in the league in total team interceptions with 187 which just speaks to the strength of their backline and midfield, especially Nealis and Long.
A surprising stat when you consider how good both of these teams are offensively is that both clubs are near the bottom of the league in accurate long balls (NYRB is 28th out of 28, LAFC is 25th). The clubs score a lot, however they build up through the midfield as opposed to via the long ball.
Another surprising stat about New York is that they have the lowest completed passing% in the league at just 70.3%. You don’t usually see a team who is top 5 in goals scored and top 10 in total key passes (NYRB is 7th with 138) struggle so much passing the ball. Passing completion % isn’t a strength for LAFC either (middle of the pack at 81.4%), but it is a better mark than NYRB’s.
You might also have a good chance to see a strong goal from outside the box in this match. NYRB is tied for 2nd in the league in goals from outside the box this year with 5. LAFC is right behind them with 4.
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These are two of the best and most talented teams in the league front to back in their lineups. However, I believe that LAFC’s passing ability and the play of their front 3 will be enough to push them over the top. This should be an exciting match between two of the best teams in the league. If you’re looking for a match to watch this weekend, I would suggest this one. It’s been put on ABC for a reason, and it’s because how exciting it’s expected to be.