Los Angeles FC will welcome New York Red Bulls to the BMO Stadium on Saturday in their latest MLS clash.
In the upcoming ninth round of the 2024 Major League Soccer season, Los Angeles FC and New York Red Bulls will face off against each other at BMO Stadium.
Both teams are coming off draws in their previous matches and are hungry for a victory in this weekend’s showdown. This encounter marks the fourth regular season meeting between New York Red Bulls and Los Angeles, with LAFC holding a slight advantage in the series with a 2-1-0 record.
LAFC recently played an exciting 2-2 draw against Portland Timbers at Providence Park. Despite falling behind twice to goals from Felipe Mora and Evander, Steve Cherundolo’s side showed great resilience, with Mateusz Bogusz scoring twice to secure a valuable point. The result sees The Black and Gold currently in sixth place in the Western Conference, trailing league leaders LA Galaxy by four points.
Next on the agenda for them is an opponent they have had success against in three of their last four encounters. With four wins and a draw in their last five home matches, Sunday’s hosts are in formidable form when playing in front of their fans.
Meanwhile, New York Red Bulls exhibited determination in their recent match against Chicago Fire at the Red Bull Arena. Despite playing with ten men for most of the game following Andres Reyes’s red card, Sandro Schwarz’s side displayed defensive solidity in the second half to secure a draw. With 15 points from eight matches, the Bulls currently occupy the second spot in the Eastern Conference, level on points with leaders Inter Miami, although they have played one game less.
Having remained unbeaten in four of their last five away matches, Sunday’s visitors pose a significant challenge on the road. The Hard Tackle takes a look at how both sides could line up for the game and their tactics.
Team News & Tactics
Los Angeles FC
The home side will be without Lorenzo Dellavalle, who remains sidelined due to a knee injury, ruling him out of contention for the game. Additionally, David Martinez continues to be unavailable as he is yet to recover from a back problem. Adding to their absence list, midfielder Eduard Atuesta will serve a one-game suspension this weekend after receiving his fifth yellow card of the season.
Steve Cherundolo will in all likelihood go in with a 4-3-3 formation, with former World Cup winner Hugo Lloris in goal. He should be protected by the back four of Ryan Hollingshead, Aaron Long, Jesus Murillo and Sergi Palencia.
Timothy Tillman should start in the midfield, with Kei Kamara and Ilie Sanchez alongside him. Mateusz Bogusz scored both goals last time around against the Portland Timbers and should retain his spot at the lead of the LAFC attack. He should be supported up top by Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera, who will also provide the width.
Probable Lineup (4-3-3): Lloris; Hollingshead, Long, Murillo, Palencia; Sanchez, Tillman, Kamara; Bouanga, Bogusz, Olivera
New York Red Bulls
New York Red Bulls’ Andres Reyes is ineligible to participate in the upcoming match after receiving a red card in the draw against Chicago Fire. Additionally, the away side will be without Cory Burke and Serge Ngoma due to groin and knee injuries, respectively. However, there is hope for Burke’s return as he edges closer to full fitness.
Carlos Coronel should start in goal behind the back four of Dylan Nealis, Kyle Duncan, Noah Eile and John Tolkin. Peter Stroud and Frankie Amaya should make up the numbers in the middle of the park with Wikelman Carmona and Emil Forsberg providing the width.
The duo of Lewis Morgan and Dante Vanzeir should retain their spot up top despite firing a blank against Chicago Fire last time around.
Probable Lineup (4-4-2): Coronel; Nealis, Duncan, Eile, Tolkin; Carmona, Amaya, Stroud, Forsberg; Morgan, Vanzeir
Key Stats
- New York Red Bulls are unbeaten in four of their last five away clashes in the MLS.
- Los Angeles FC have won four of their last five home games in the MLS.
- New York Red Bulls have earned a result in eight of their last nine MLS regular season road matches.
- The Red Bulls have only allowed seven goals in eight matches this season, which is tied for the lowest in the MLS this season.
Player to Watch
Emil Forsberg
The 32-year-old has scored just once and assisted twice in six MLS outings since moving from RB Leip[zig in Germany. Forsberg is yet to hit his stride in the MLS but remains a dangerous player brimming with match-winning potential and experience to boot.
He is expected to stretch the Los Angeles FC defence and is also a reliable hand at set pieces. It will not come as a surprise should he play a key role in which way the match swings on the night.
Prediction
Los Angeles FC 1-1 New York Red Bulls
Both sides will seek all three points on the night. However, ti is more likely they cancel out each other and settle for a share of the spoils. Los Angeles will aim to overtake Inter Miami but could fall just short of securing a triumph. The Hard Tackle predicts a 1-1 draw.