Champions League coming in 2023, too.
LAFC won’t be in action this weekend until Sunday, but they still accomplished something notable on Saturday without hitting the pitch.
Austin FC’s draw against Nashville SC on Saturday means LAFC have officially clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference for the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. That means LAFC will have homefield advantage at least through the conference finals, if they advance that far, of course.
The West is ours. #LAFC pic.twitter.com/siKUfFdH1Q
— LAFC (@LAFC) September 18, 2022
More good news, LAFC have also clinched a spot in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League, so they’ll get to try again to make a deep run and hopefully this next time, win the regional title.
In addition, while it looked like LAFC had fully given up the Supporters’ Shield midweek after only managing a draw at Minnesota United, their competition for that trophy, the Philadelphia Union, dropped points on Saturday, playing a 0-0 draw at Atlanta United. As a result, if LAFC defeat the Houston Dynamo on Sunday, they will be level on points with the Union again, and will move to the top of the Shield standings on the first tiebreaker, total wins. So the door has been opened again for that title, if LAFC can win out or at least get three more points than the Union in the remaining games.
Of course, the No. 1 seed in the West will only matter in the playoffs if LAFC make a deep run in the playoffs, hopefully all the way to MLS Cup. But clinching the top seed, reaching the Champions League next year, and having hope they can still claim the Supporters’ Shield means Saturday was a good night for LAFC. Now, they just need to get the three points Sunday against the Dynamo.
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