2023 Season in Review: LAFC
It was certainly a busy 2023 for LAFC.
Coming off winning its second Supporters Shield and its first MLS Cup title. The success accumulated by the franchise in 2022 meant that LAFC would be competing for more trophies in 2023. In addition to defending both its Supporters Shield and MLS Cup titles, LAFC was also competing for the US Open Cup, the CONCACAF Champions League, Campeones Cup and the inaugural Leagues Cup competition.
The number of matches added to its schedule meant that LAFC would have to rotate players in and out of its lineup, meaning that it would need to have as deep a roster needed to weather the storm of multiple competitions, while at the same time trying to navigate the stringent MLS Salary Cap. LAFC did get consistent contributions from new players such as Mateusz Bogusz, Stipe Biuk and Timothy Tillman, but perhaps the biggest contribution came from forward Denis Bouanga. After struggling to adapt to the league and establish chemistry with his new teammates following his mid-season arrival, Bouanga showed in 2023 why LAFC used a Designated Player spot to sign him, as he scored 20 goals in all competitions and established himself as the team’s top offensive threat.
2023 turned out to be a season of attrition for LAFC, as they were knocked out of the US Open Cup by crosstown rival LA Galaxy, but made it to the finals of the CONCACAF Champions League, but came up short against Liga MX side Leon. A hangover followed, but LAFC started to get back on track, and a bye all the way to the knockout stages of Leagues Cup provided LAFC with some much-needed rest, and it appeared to pay off, as LAFC rolled all the way to the quarterfinals and had a two-goal lead against Monterrey at the Rose Bowl, but Monterrey rallied with three unanswered goals to steal the win.
Despite the loss, LAFC marched on through the final three months of the regular season. Despite losing a high-profile match at home to Lionel Messi and Inter Miami back on September 3, then losing Campeones Cup to Tigres UNAL in a shootout and eventually the Supporters Shield to FC Cincinnati, LAFC still rebounded to finish third in the Western Conference. In the MLS Cup playoffs, LAFC swept the Vancouver Whitecaps in a best-of-three first round series, then upset the second-place Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field in the conference semifinals. The upset of the West’s top seed St. Louis City FC back in the first round gave LAFC home field advantage for the Western Conference Final against the Houston Dynamo, and they did not disappoint, as they defeated Houston 2-0 to advance to its second straight MLS Cup final. Through all the extra matches, and the toll it took on LAFC physically, there was LAFC, just one win away from a second straight MLS Cup title.
This time however, LAFC did not have the luxury of playing at home, as they would have to travel to Ohio to face the Columbus Crew. The Crew immediately seized control of the match, falling behind 2-0 by halftime. Bouanga got LAFC back into the match with a second-half goal, but ultimately, the deficit became too much to overcome, as Columbus held on for then win to capture the franchise’s third MLS Cup title.
Despite coming up empty-handed in its quest to fill up its trophy case in 2023, LAFC still proved to be a formidable franchise, and will look to further ram that point home in 2024. There will be challenges, as LAFC has made changes at keeper by bringing in Hugo Lloris, and the status of its first even superstar, Carlos Vela, is in limbo. Vela, the last original remaining from the team’s inaugural season is a free agent, and there is a real chance that Vela could depart. Regardless, LAFC expects nothing more than to compete for trophies from here on, and 2024 expects to be another exciting season.