LAFC vying to make history against Tigres in CONCACAF Champions League final
After coming up short in its previous two seasons, the Los Angeles Football Club has reached its first final.
LAFC will face Mexican giant Tigres, Tuesday (7 p.m., FS2) in the final of the Scotiabank CONCACAF Champions League. No Major League Soccer team has won the tournament in its current format.
“We’re excited for the final,” LAFC coach Bob Bradley said. “Finals are special for the coaches, clubs and fans. We’re competing against a great team, great institution, we have great respect for Tuca (Tigres coach Ricardo Ferretti). We’ve watched Tigres over the years, their football and the way they go about things and I think it sets up for a great final.”
The winner will earn the right to represent the CONCACAF region at the Club World Cup, Feb. 1-11 in Qatar.
This will be the fourth Mexican club that LAFC has faced in the tournament.
LAFC’s journey began back in February with a home-and-home series win over Club Leon. When the tournament restarted last week, LAFC defeated Cruz Azul in the quarterfinals and Saturday knocked off Club America in the semifinals to become the first MLS club to eliminate three Liga MX teams in a single tournament.
Saturday’s game was the biggest in the club’s three-year history, only to now be replaced by Tuesday night’s clash.
“I’ve been here since the beginning and the club has always had aspirations to be a top team on the global scene,” LAFC midfielder Mark-Anthony Kaye said. “This final, puts us within touching reach of getting there, so it’s exciting, finals are a different type of game and I’m glad this club gets to see one so early in its history.”
LAFC was eliminated in the semifinals of the U.S. Open Cup in 2018 and last year in the MLS Western Conference Finals.
Tigres defeated Alianza (El Salvador) in the round of 16, New York City FC in the quarterfinals and blew by Olimpia (Honduras) 3-0 in Saturday’s semifinals.
In each of its past two games, LAFC has fallen behind, but rallied to win, capped by Saturday’s 3-1 win over Club America. Carlos Vela scored two goals, approximately 70 seconds apart in the win.
“It is only three games, but it is all or nothing,” LAFC goalkeeper Kenneth Vermeer said. “We’ve prepared ourselves that every game is like a final. Playing against Tigres, it will be a totally different game then our last game against Club America, they had their tricks and we almost suffered, but we kept playing our own game and with our football, we managed to win.
“Tigres likes to manage the game and we are a team that also likes to manage the game and play our way, so I think it will be an interesting game.”
LAFC will be without midfielder Eduard Atuesta, who received a red card following an incident with Club America’s Guillermo Ochoa. The club reportedly began the process of appealing the red card, which would then allow Atuesta to play.
However, Bradley said that he “was certain that Eduard will not be allowed to play”, adding that the discussion is “at a higher level than I’m involved with.”
“We wouldn’t be in the final if it wasn’t for Eduard,” Bradley said. “An important player for us, a really talented young guy and you are really sad when a young player is so important and misses out on a final, but you saw the response we had the second half against Club America, the commitment we had to still play our football, we’re going to miss him, but our focus is still on preparing for the game.”