LAFC motivated by another chance to solve Houston puzzle
The end of the first block of games for the Los Angeles Football Club comes Saturday in Houston, a leg of the Texas circuit that has generally been miserable for them the past few seasons.
“Last time we won in Houston was in 2019. That’s six years ago, so it tells you a lot,” head coach Marc Dos Santos said Friday. “It tells you how difficult it is to go there and win the game.”
The Dynamo is the only conference foe that Denis Bouanga, the MLS’ leading scorer the past three years, has not hit with a front flip.
If LAFC can buck a trend that spans former coaches Bob Bradley and Steve Cherundolo, a victory in Houston would earn them one point more than their last five trips combined.
“That’s a source of motivation for us,” Dos Santos said. “It’s a game we want to win, but we know, and we’ve watched them also, to win over there you’re going to have a very organized game as a team. We’re going to have to be a compact block. We’re going to have to be smart in the moments we have the ball. And that’s going to be very important if we want to succeed over there.”
A fourth consecutive victory would give LAFC its best start since its founding in 2018.
No Black & Gold squad has ever been 4-0-0.
Bradley’s record-setters in 2019 were unbeaten through seven MLS games, winning a half-dozen to go with a draw in their third match at Yankee Stadium against New York City.
In Cherundolo’s second season, in 2023, the club opened with three wins before a faux-loss in CONCACAF Champions Cup play that still felt like victory after advancing on aggregate.
So far, Dos Santos’ ascension has launched in the best possible way.
Leading by five goals in Honduras after 45 minutes allowed for a full-strength performance over Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami and little concern in the second leg against Real España, rotating numerous players ahead of the spring trip to Texas.
“What really helped us kind of manage these four games was the first half in Honduras,” Dos Santos said. “If we had to push with everyone in the three games maybe it would be different for the fourth game.”
Either way, the message to players is clear.
“What we told the guys is it’s important to go through the first block all-in,” he said. “All-in. Don’t waste any energy. Push. After this first block we have three days off and then we can reset. Stay away from the game. Do something with families. Girlfriends. Wives. And then be ready to attack another block that is going to have a lot of games and training sessions.”
Prior to departing on Friday looking for points in 12 consecutive regular-season away games dating to last year, LAFC looked sharp in training, showing off the depth of its squad during short-field drills requiring quick decisions and ball movement. Extremely pleased with the team defending against Miami last weekend, Dos Santos graded their possession a “D,” describing it as an area of growth.
His club could get its share of the ball playing in front of a standing-room only crowd on Saturday. Debuting at Shell Energy Stadium last weekend, Houston conceded possession to Chicago in a 2-1 win that hung on Brazilian attacker Guilherme, whose second half brace punctuated the Designated Player’s first appearance with the Dynamo.
Finishing 12th in the conference last year, Houston added several significant pieces in the offseason, all of whom saw the field for head coach Ben Olsen against the Fire. Headlined by former LAFC threat and new DP Mateusz Bogusz, transfers include midfielder Agustín Bouzat, defender Lucas Halter, fullback Franco Negri and forward Nick Markanich.
In 2025, the Dynamo acquired U.S. men’s national team midfielder Jack McGlynn. His first goal for the franchise was the game-winner in a 1-0 result at home against LAFC.
LAFC at HOUSTON
When: Saturday, 5:30 p.m. PT
Where: Shell Energy Stadium, Houston
TV: Apple TV/980 AM, 1330 AM