2019 MLS regular season week 23
Another week and another stunning performance from LAFC squad. The Western conference and MLS leaders got the best of New York Red Bulls in the Sunday match of the day.
LAFC added 4 more goals in the season tallying 65 conversions in just 24 games for a ratio of 2.7 per game, a pretty impressive number, a MLS best and on pace to be a record year in so many stat categories. Behind the untouchable leaders, the East is a little more competitive with Philadelphia Union, Atlanta FC and DC United sitting atop in a 6 point-margin.
Coach Bradley on the great performance
“We understand that teams are going to try in certain moments to press us hard and we still say, come on, we can pass it in there, there’s enough room, you can receive it in the right way, so that now it sets up the next pass.
I think we get more and more confident at that but look, there’s all these different levels to keep going that’s still what separates good from great from the best.
It’s a learning curve from last year to this year. I think we’ve improved tremendously. Last year, this game would [end with us] either drawing or possibly losing. We don’t like to give up leads at the end of the half like that, [against] Atlanta the same thing happened, but it was a good response in the second half and it was similar this week.”
The other team in Los Angeles have dropped down the standings due to, in part, to their inability to get results away from home. Zlatan and his teammates lost for the 7th times in 12 away games played (4 wins and 1 tie) and fell to fifth place in the Western standings far behind their city rivals. Lastly game they lost to D.C. United who was playing without their two best players in Rooney and Acosta.
On another note, Cristian Pavon was making his debut with the 5-times MLS champions and showed promises as Ibrahimovic judged: “I think he was the best man on the field. It was his first game and he showed what his ability is and he did a very good game. Unlucky we didn’t win to give him more credit,”
The Argentine transferred from Boca Juniors could be one of the players to follow during the last third of the season.
