LAFC host Austin FC with playoff seeding on the line
Key takeaways
- LAFC hosted Austin FC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night.
- Son Heung-min started as LAFC chased a first win in five league games.
- Austin needed a result to close the gap on the last playoff spot.
LAFC hosted Austin FC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night. The game kicked off at 7:30 PM PDT. Playoff seeding was on the line for both clubs.
Son Heung-min started for LAFC. The club needed a win to climb the West standings. Austin needed points to stay in the playoff race.
The game was scoreless at half time, according to Sportradar.
Both teams came into the night in a tough spot. LAFC had gone four league games without a win. Austin had just lost 4-1 to Nashville.
Something had to give.
What happened
LAFC named a strong lineup for the match. Denis Bouanga led the line as the lone striker. Son Heung-min played behind him in the second line.
Hugo Lloris started in goal. That is what Chosun reported.
Son came into the game chasing his seventh goal of the season. He played well against Vancouver on October 11. But he missed a golden chance in that game.
A fine save denied him in the first half. He wanted to put that right against Austin.
Austin came to Los Angeles under pressure. Coach Davy Arnaud had urged his players to take charge. The team lost 4-1 to Nashville in its last game.
That loss ended an eight-game unbeaten run. Arnaud said the team looked disjointed. He said the players must take more care.
The first half ended 0-0. Neither side broke through before the break. The game was still open at half time.
The second half would decide it.
LAFC had a new face on the bench in spirit. The club played its first game under Xavi Tamarit in the last round. That game ended 1-1 against Vancouver.
The new coach needed a first win.
Off the pitch, LAFC had good news. Defender Eddie Segura signed a new deal. The contract runs through the 2029-30 season.
It has an option for one more year. The club praised his steady play and leadership.
Why it matters
The playoff math made this game big. LAFC sat sixth in the West before kickoff. The club had 11 wins, 9 draws, and 9 losses.
Fifth-place Houston sat three points ahead. A win would close that gap. A good seed means a kinder playoff path.
Austin sat near the bottom of the West. The club was five points behind ninth-place LA Galaxy. The Galaxy hold the last playoff spot.
A win in Los Angeles would cut the gap to two points. That is why this game felt like a cup final for Austin.
Form made the game even more open. LAFC had won just one of their last 11 league games. They had gone four games without a win.
The team had drawn too many games. The attack had gone quiet.
Austin had the reverse problem. The team had gone eight games unbeaten before Nashville. Then Nashville beat them 4-1 at home.
The loss hurt. But Austin still had a strong road record. The team was unbeaten in four straight away games.
That run reads three wins and one draw.
History also pointed both ways. Austin were unbeaten in five straight regular-season games against LAFC. That run reads two wins and three draws.
It includes a 0-0 draw on March 21. But LAFC swept Austin in the playoffs last season. LAFC won those two games by 6-2 on aggregate.
Playoff games and league games tell two tales.
One player stood out in this fixture. Denis Bouanga had scored eight goals in 10 games against Austin. No player had scored more against Austin since the club joined MLS in 2021.
Bouanga loves this matchup. Austin had to stop him to get a result.
What happens next
The second half would decide the points. A win for LAFC would lift them toward fifth place. A win for Austin would drag them back into the race.
A draw would help neither side much.
Austin play next on Saturday. They host the Vancouver Whitecaps at Q2 Stadium. Kickoff is at 5:30 PM PDT.
That is another big game for the playoff race.
LAFC must fix the win column fast. The regular season has few games left. Too many draws will cost a good seed.
The team needs Son and Bouanga to fire together. If they do, LAFC can still finish strong.
Austin must show the Nashville loss was a blip. The team played well for eight games before it. Arnaud asked for 11 players on the same page.
If the team answers, the playoff race stays alive.
For another MLS playoff race story, see Atlanta United beat Montreal 3-0. For the West race, see Seattle Sounders vs FC Dallas.
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