It wasn’t a loss, but it certainly tasted as bitter. After defending its home field for 82 minutes, LAFC slipped up, allowing New England’s high press to break down the back field and for Brandon Bye to tie the score at 1-1. It was a result the Revs desperately needed, but one LAFC didn’t quite expect.
Although the draw was disappointing to the team, it wasn’t entirely unpredictable, and it’s a result the club will do well to avoid in the future. Here are five things LAFC must take away from its latest matchup to continue to improve as the club finishes its season.
Marco Ureña highlights LAFC versatility with first goal
Although Carlos Vela, Diego Rossi and Adama Diomande typically dominate the highlight reels for LAFC, the team has flexed its versatility in the attack throughout this inaugural season. Ureña’s goal was a perfect example of this — he’s notched five assists on the season, filling a role as a distributor in the attack.
When one piece of the LAFC offense can’t come through, another is able to replace it, and Ureña fulfilled this in Saturday’s game with his first goal in the black and gold.
Ureña taps it away for @LAFC #LAFCvNE https://t.co/u9vSgvqjnp
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 16, 2018
Rolling with punches
The Revs racked up 27 fouls in Saturday’s match, more than twice as many as the LAFC side. This has been the norm as of late — teams use physical backlines to bully down the speedy attack that so often slices up LAFC opponents. While it’s a frustrating tactic that draws ire from black and gold fans, the hefty amount of fouls leveled against the team’s opponents is an opportunity that it hasn’t tapped into yet.
If LAFC wants to muscle through this physical level of play, it must take advantage of every foul, using free kicks as a chance to stir up attacking action and take shots on goal. This was something that wasn’t seen in the Revs game, but must become part of the LAFC game plan if future teams continue to bring such physical competition.
Tyler Miller remains stalwart in goal
Miller turned out yet another Man of the Match performance on Saturday, smothering two one-on-one chances created by the New England press. His presence in goal made the difference between a draw and a loss, as New England often slipped past the defense and scorched Miller with 20 shots, eight of which came on frame.
The keeper’s continued strength in goal will be a key asset for the team, but Saturday proved that he can’t do it all on his own. Despite his staggering control in goal, the Revs still managed to slip one past due to poor marking in the box. Unless the defense provides Miller with the protection necessary to avoid those point-blank shots, the keeper will struggle to keep clean sheets.
Shift in the standings
The Western Conference saw a serious upheaval this weekend, as Sporting KC finally displaced FC Dallas as the top dog in the conference. LAFC remains in its same position, the third slot in the rankings, despite earning only a draw against the Revs at home. But Real Salt Lake has now pulled within two points, making competition at the top particularly tight.
As the season comes to a close, the division will be drawn between teams who force wins and teams who settle for draws. LAFC must be on the right side of that separation to maintain its positioning in the conference. Although the team is well settled to find a place in the playoffs, positioning will be key in deciding the team’s opponents for the opening rounds; the better it closes the regular season, the better LAFC can start the post season.