The Los Angeles Football Club has been waiting to begin its season-long defense of the MLS Cup.
Starting a week later than planned due to inclement weather that postponed their match at the Rose Bowl against the rival L.A. Galaxy, LAFC takes the field at the newly named BMO Stadium against the Portland Timbers on Saturday afternoon.
“No one likes just training, right?” said midfielder Kellyn Acosta, whose contract option for 2023 was exercised shortly after LAFC captured the league title in November. “We want to get the season underway. Get started. Just get into rhythm. Get flowing. So, yeah, we’re really eager and excited for the weekend.”
First things first for the coaches and players who were with the Black & Gold in 2022 is a pregame ceremony celebrating their milestone championship. Beginning at 1 p.m., the championship banner is set to be unveiled and last season’s players will receive a diamond-clad ring from Baron Jewelers.
The extra week didn’t alter much regarding LAFC’s preparation, second-year head coach Steve Cherundolo said.
“The only change is the psychological change and there’s that small, small, tiny question mark about where you’re at after preseason,” Cherundolo said. “But this group has been together with this coaching staff for over a year now and we have a strong foundation, so I’m not sure that is a big deal for us.”
Pleased with the team’s growth during an extended eight-week preseason, Cherundolo said the new players have been successfully integrated into the group.
The next step is implementing them into real matches.
LAFC has numerous chances in March with six games in 21 days, including a pair of CONCACAF Champions League contests against Costa Rican club Alajuelense starting with its next contest March 9.
As has been the case since LAFC entered Major League Soccer in 2018, Portland should provide the Black & Gold with an intense 90 minutes.
The Timbers’ season began Monday with a 1-0 win at home against Sporting Kansas City. Led for the seventh season by Venezuelan coach Giovanni Savarese, this Timbers team appears deeper and faster on the wings after missing the MLS Cup playoffs by one point.
“Portland, in my opinion, has improved from last season,” Cherundolo said. “So it’s a good team coming our way and a team who will play a very important role in the West, for sure.”
Like the rest of the conference, LAFC will need to account for creative Portland midfielder Evander, a 24-year-old Brazilian who joined the Timbers as a Designated Player for a reported fee around $10 million, the most expensive in their history.
“He’s also a player getting used to his team and the league,” Cherundolo said, “so hopefully there’s an opportunity for us there as well.”
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During Cherundolo’s successful first season, his priorities revolved around controlling what could be controlled. For Saturday’s purposes, that means putting Evander in situations where he must defend more than attack MLS Cup MVP John McCarthy, who begins the season as the No. 1 goalkeeper.
If LAFC wins, it will be the club’s sixth consecutive opening-match victory, tying it for the most in league history.
PORTLAND AT LAFC
When: Saturday, 1:55 p.m.
Where: BMO Stadium, Los Angeles
TV/Radio: FOX, FOX Deportes, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV/710 AM, ESPN LA App, 980 AM