Los Angeles FC’s attack has made headlines almost every week.
While Carlos Vela and others are rightfully receiving the star treatment, the back four has put together one heck of a 2019 as well.
The Black-and-Gold earned the best defensive record in MLS by conceding just 37 goals, which helped them earn a +48 goal differential.
The differences between 2018 and 2019 come down to more time in Bob Bradley’s system.
“I think attacking-wise you can see it with the number of goals we’ve scored, but defensively last year I thought we were really great, we just gave up some bad goals because of bad decisions in certain areas that were fixable,” LAFC defender Jordan Harvey said. “Coming into this year, this group and the addition of Eddie Segura, who picked up the system quickly, everyone’s comfort level was higher and everyone was more keen on where they needed to be, the reactions and just the defensive nuances that the system requires.
“The comfort level from the very beginning was higher than last year and after Year One, everyone came in with one year under their belt and it was just that much more clear and it paid off with the number of goals we gave up.”
Bob Bradley’s side imposed its will on countless opponents, and it showed in a handful of lopsided final scores. Those performances can be tracked back to the team’s consistency.
“It gets overlooked, but that’s the whole group,” Harvey said. “And if you watch our team game in and game out, it’s the same model, the same game plan, the same style of play and that compounds and builds game after game where everybody is way more comfortable.”
The addition of Eddie Segura also helped solidify LAFC’s play at the back. Harvey noticed from an early kick-around session that the 22-year-old Colombian would be a star in the system.
“Before preseason even started we were here training as a group and Eddie was there. It was the first time I had seen him. It was a casual, small-sided game, probably 4v4, very unorganized, just rolling the ball out and getting some touches,” Harvey said. “From that moment, he showed the aggression and you could just tell his intelligence of the game just from that small-sided session.
“I knew he had something and then his ability to just pick up everything that’s going on from the coaches and implement that on the field has been really great and he’s been, for me, one of the key additions and the reasons for our success.”
The midfield grouping of Eduard Atuesta, Mark-Anthony Kaye and Latif Blessing have also aided the club’s defensive efforts by flipping the field in rapid instances.
“All of these guys is just like you’re talking with the back four,” Harvey said. “The whole group has had a year to grow within this system and learn the nuances and have the reactions required to play within this system where as soon as the ball is turned over, you see Latif, whose reaction times are ridiculous, and Mark, who has so much range with those long legs, and then Eduard and his intelligence in when to step and to go in hard on a tackle or drop off to help the full backs if they’re 1-v-1.”
LAFC had 18 days in between Decision Day and Thursday’s Western Conference semifinal with LA Galaxy. It is the longest layoff in the MLS playoffs, but the club is banking on its crowd to boost it to a victory, just like it did 13 times in the regular season.
“This playoff format leans toward (home success) because it’s just these one-off games, there’s no home and away,” Harvey said. “It obviously gives the advantage to the home team. That was one of our goals to be the top team in the West, win the Supporters’ Shield and in doing that gaining that massive advantage of playing in front of our fans at Banc of California Stadium. We’re absolutely excited to bring another playoff game home. With our fans, it’s a great atmosphere and environment and everybody is just super excited to get to that game.”