The refereeing appointment for today's game is as follows:
Referee: Filip Dujic.
Assistant Referee 1: Corey Rockwell.
Assistant Referee 2: Adam Wienckowski.
Fourth Referee: Alyssa Nichols.
VAR: Luis Guardia.
VAR assistant: Eric Weisbrod.
The last time these two teams met was on July 15, 2023 and on that occasion the match ended in a 1-1 draw at Allianz Field. That confrontation was full of fouls, yellow cards, corner kicks and many goals that we hope will be repeated today.
We are just under an hour before the match between LAFC and Minnesota United begins at BMO Stadium. Both teams will go out in search of victory. Who will make it tonight? Follow our coverage on VAVEL.
These were the eleven players who started the last game:
Dayne St. Clair, Miguel Tapias, Michael Boxall, Ethan Bristow, D.J. Taylor, Emanuel Reynoso, Wil Trapp, Jan Gregus, Teemu Pukki, Hassani Dotson and Bongokuhle Hlongwane.
These were the eleven players who started the last game:
John McCarthy, Aaron Long, Denil Maldonado, Ryan Hollingshead, Sergi Palencia, Ilie Sánchez, Mateusz Bogusz, Timothy Tillman, Mario González, Denis Bouanga and Carlos Vela.
The next three players are considered key to Minnesota United's offensive attack and will be of utmost importance for them to achieve victory. Forward Bongokuhle Hlongwane (#21) is a fundamental piece for the team because of his experience. He is a great player who takes advantage of his speed and strength to score. Another key player for the team is Hassani Dotson (#31) who plays in the midfield position and is a player with a lot of assisting skills. He is another player with a lot of experience and who has played multiple times against Minnesota United so he will be key to defeating them. Finally, goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair (#97) is one of the best goalkeepers in the MLS, his height allows him to save almost any ball and is very important so that his team does not concede a goal on Wednesday.
Minnesota United had a bad start in Major League Soccer, it is at the top of the tournament. Until week 34 of the tournament they have a total of 38 points with 9 games won, 11 tied and 11 lost. They are located in eleventh position in the Western Conference and if they want to obtain a better place they will have to win the game. Their goal is to stay among the top 7 places in the table to advance to the postseason. Their last game in the MLS was on September 30, 2023, they tied 1-1 against the San Jose Earthquakes at Allianz Field and thus achieved another tie in the tournament. They arrive as the least favorites to win the match, but they could surprise and win the match because they are a good MLS team and because of the experience their players have.
The next three players are considered key to LAFC's offensive attack and it is likely that any of them can score in the match against Minnesota United. The French player Denis Bouanga (#99) is a great forward who is recognized as the team's highest scorer and as a great leader on the field. His ability to control the ball and make plays has been invaluable to his team and we could see him score on Wednesday. Forward Carlos Vela (#10) is another distributor of the game on the field that is extremely important, his great ball control makes him the team's greatest assister. Finally, 31-year-old goalkeeper John McCarthy (#77) is one of the best goalkeepers in the MLS, his height allows him to save almost any ball and is very important so that his team does not concede a goal on Wednesday.
The Los Angeles team had a good start to the tournament so far in the MLS, after 12 games won, 9 tied and 10 lost, they have 45 points in the general table that puts them in fourth position in the Western Conference. They had a good start to the season, it is hoped that they can maintain themselves during the tournament and advance to the postseason. Wednesday's game is important to move up the standings. Their goal this year is to qualify among the first 7 places to advance to the postseason and therefore they must win as many games as possible. Their last game was on October 1, 2023 and resulted in a 1-0 loss against Real Salt Lake at BMO Stadium and thus they suffered another defeat in the tournament. They come as favorites to win this game and win because of the incredible team they have and the good time they are going through. They have an advantage in Wednesday's game by playing at home and having their fans behind them.
BMO Stadium is located in the city of Los Angeles, California. It will be the venue for this match, it has a capacity of 22,000 spectators and is the home of the Los Angeles Football Club. It was inaugurated on April 18, 2018 and cost $350 million.
Welcome to VAVEL.com’s LIVE coverage of the MLS 2023: LAFC vs Minnesota United!
My name is Pablo Bernal and I will be your host for this game. We will provide you with pre-game analysis, roster updates, and news as it happens live here on VAVEL.
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