Black-and-gold face a new opponent.
LAFC are in the best form in MLS, and will look to continue that on Saturday when they host a new opponent, 2022 MLS expansion side Charlotte FC.
LAFC won their fifth consecutive league game last weekend, when they downed Real Salt Lake 4-1 on the road. Cristian Arango scored a brace, Gareth Bale had a fantastic capper goal, and Kellyn Acosta somehow quietly got the winner in Utah, and the black-and-gold remain atop the Supporters’ Shield standings. Life is good, but nothing is accomplished yet.
In Charlotte, they’ll face an expansion side that is hard to pin down. They have already fired their first head coach, which is usually a sign of doom, but they are also a healthy 8W-4L-0D at home to start their history. On the flipside, they are a mere 1W-9L-2D on the road, so home cooking really seems to benefit North Carolina’s MLS team. I think this team has more potential than the most abject expansion teams in history but are they at LAFC/Seattle Sounders/Atlanta United/Nashville SC levels of expansion competence? It doesn’t look like it, but they still have some time to really push on and be a definitive success in their first year.
On paper, LAFC should dominate this game, but it could very well be a trap game if they’re not careful. And again, I don’t think Charlotte are in the top echelon of expansion teams but they aren’t truly terrible, either. Respect the opponent, play your game, and hopefully LAFC continue to roll at The Banc.
Injuries/absences:
LAFC:
- Julian Gaines (pelvis) — OUT
Charlotte:
- Vinicius Mello (foot) — OUT
- Adam Armour (knee) — OUT
- Guzman Corujo (ACL) — OUT
- Kerwin Vargas (knee) — QUESTIONABLE
Odds:
According to our partners at DraftKings Sportsbook, as of Thursday afternoon, LAFC are (+180), Charlotte are (+600) and a draw is (+390), so LAFC are enormous favorites at home. Hopefully that means it’s a routine victory!
How to Watch:
Saturday’s match between LAFC and Charlotte FC will be televised locally on KCOP13 and Estrella TV 62.2 and streamed in the rest of the United States on ESPN+. The broadcast is scheduled to start at 7:30 pm PT with kickoff to come at 7:38.