LAFC has a convincing case to being the best team U.S. soccer has ever seen

Dynasties and Major League Soccer don’t often mix.

Since the league’s inception in 1996, there have been three dynasty championships. DC United won his three MLS Cups between his 1996 and 1999. After lifting back-to-back MLS Cups in 2006 and 2007, the Houston Dynamo had the best record in the Western Conference in 2008, followed by back-to-back successes for the LA Galaxy from 2011-2014, winning the MLS Cup. 3 times and the Supporters Shield twice. In a league whose rules favor equality over dominance, it’s very rare to find consistent domestic success over several seasons like Bayern Munich or Manchester City.

Reaching their second CONCACAF Champions League final in three years, LAFC has a chance to become the first American team to achieve a national and continental double. It’s a chance to engrave their names in American football history. His semi-final draw against 2022 MLS Cup foes Philadelphia Union ended Tuesday night 3-0 and 4-1 on aggregate. Jim Curtin: ‘Probably the best team in league history’

📹 Catch the best moments of the match @LAFC and @ Fila Union With a highlight reel! 🎞️

🗒️ For a summary, https://t.co/tv9gniefCd 👈#SCCL23 pic.twitter.com/Uch2xs0Wrv

— Scotiabank Concacafe Champions League (@TheChampions) May 3, 2023

The first leg was a challenge, but the Union outperformed head coach Steve Cerundro’s team. First: the crowd. Despite another of his LAFC vs. Philadelphia matchups at Dodgers Stadium and an NBA Playoff Round 2 draw between the LA Lakers and the Golden State Warriors, his most reliable sell-out in MLS is his BMO Stadium performance. Home his support reappeared. 3252, a group of independent supporters endorsed by the club, sang from start to finish in his minute, while the rest of the stadium reacted to the changing pattern of the match’s momentum, with Union calling for an equalizer late in the first half. It calmed me down when I did. When LAFC smelled blood, they advanced the team in the second half.

They were nasty about it too. When Olivier Mbaiso was shown his second yellow card in the second half and Philadelphia made it to his 10, supporters around the stadium laughed at the look on his face and tunneled through Cameroon international Mbaiso. sent to the other side of league final. When John McCarthy made a point-blank save from Daniel Guzdag in the first half to make the score 1-0 for him, the LAFC crowd responded with chants of “MVP,” prompting Philadelphia native McCarthy to win his MLS win. He reminded the union that he won the Cup Most Valuable Player of the Year. He received the award for his two saves in the penalty shootout in LAFC’s victory in November. Sports fans in Los Angeles have seen success in the last three years, winning the NBA, NFL, and MLB, and winning his MLS Cup last year. Their bold confidence reflects a team and city accustomed to winning.

That cheeky confidence is the energy they lacked when they finally reached the 2020 Champions League final. Behind closed doors in Orlando, COVID restrictions forced the club’s die-hard fans to stay home while LAFC attempted to pull off the feat. Never been to an MLS club before. By supporting his now packed BMO Stadium, LAFC is confident they can win his fourth trophy in five years, regardless of who he faces in the finals.

“The current locker room atmosphere is obviously happy, but also focused and hungry,” said Cerundro. “We don’t get too hung up on success, we don’t get hung up on games that don’t go our way. More importantly, I think physical and mental recovery are key for this group. Tonight’s performance was: Compared to other nights it was a bit more professional and better managed, we had more control over the ups and downs of the game, which is something we wanted to improve on from the other night. were able to adapt to our conditions.”

As Curtin admitted, their confidence is not misplaced and they could be the best team ever assembled in MLS. From back to front, quality shines through. Carlos Vela, the main source of goals heading into the 2020 final, is trailing the league’s in-form forward Dennis his Buanga. Midfield has improved. The defense has more experience than he did three years ago, with depth and positioning versatility across the board that is the envy of the league. Needless to say, Cerundro, who was the fastest to reach his 25th win in his post-shootout era last month, has shown big his ability to orchestrate wins in his games.

However, their success in MLS brings them worldwide recognition. Cerundro spent his entire professional career in Hannover, Germany, and had previously expressed his desire to coach abroad and with the national team. From a player’s point of view, Buanga’s glorious season in his prime has drawn the attention of Europe, while Jose Cifuentes has drawn the attention of the Premiers to his league. Few players on the roster look out of place in the top five leagues, so clubs should plan accordingly.

Sharp signings like Timothy Tillman, the opening scorer of the night, underscore the potential to continue building LAFC into a title-stealing machine, but league history suggests that this degree of success is fleeting. They joined cross-town neighbors Galaxy as the first MLS club to reach two Champions League finals, but the team also included Dynasty, the first winning MLS Cup champion. have the chance to become

And, with that, a compelling case that they are the best team US soccer has ever seen.

(Photo: Sean Clarke/Getty Images)