Nov. 26, 2023 was a disappointing day for the Seattle Sounders after a Denis Bouanga goal in the 30th minute put an end to their season.
Fast forward to today, the Sounders have a chance at redemption as the team meets LAFC once again in the Western Conference Semifinals on Nov. 23 at BMO Stadium.
“I know our guys are gonna be up for it,” said Head Coach Brian Schmetzer.
Similar to last year, the two teams finished the regular season as top contenders in the West. While LAFC has had the upper-hand on the Sounders this season — having won all four of their matchups across all competitions — Seattle is eager to for another shot at the Southern California side.
“They're going to be ready because they are a tight knit group,” said Schmetzer. “They want to win.”
LAFC is known for its dangerous attack consisting of Bouanga, Mateusz Bogusz, and the recent addition Olivier Giroud, to name a few. The team finds the most success when they sit in a low block before exploiting opponents on the counter.
This strategy has been the Sounders’ Achilles heel in the majority of their past matchups, but the hope is to eliminate this tactic with the correct preparation ahead of the semifinal match.
“That's something that they're really good at as a team,” said forward Jordan Morris. “It's been difficult for us, difficult for any team, to break down a low block, and then they have the weapons to counter from there, so that's something that we need to focus on, is starting the game out strong and coming out on the front foot because once they are protecting a lead, it's hard to beat them.”
LAFC’s defense is also something to take into consideration, given their lineup is typically set to five in the back whenever they face the Sounders. Patience and opening up the field will be vital for the Seattle side.
“Spacing and timing, I think those are two things that we've gotten exceptionally better at, and there are things that I think a lot of people don't even pay attention to, but it makes a big difference,” said goalkeeper Stefan Frei.
With that, Seattle is looking to apply their successful efforts from previous matches and carry that over into Nov. 23’s postseason battle.
“I think if we play to the best of our abilities, it's going to be a really good game,” said Frei. “We've had a good spell since our last meeting with them, and I think we've learned a few things here and there, so hopefully we can utilize that knowledge and get a W.”
An away match — especially during playoffs — is never an ideal scenario, but Seattle is viewing it as more of an advantage upon reflection of their 2019 Western Conference Final at BMO Stadium.
“We thought about the mentality of the group that went down there in 2019, that's a big one,” said Schmetzer. “We went down a goal and we came back. We weren't afraid to play. We put pressure on them. We didn't just sit back. There were a lot of good things, good memories of that game.”
The expectation is to emulate this sort of confidence within the current Sounders team to push past LAFC and advance to the Western Conference Final.
“I think sometimes going to these games when you haven't beaten a team in a while maybe the belief might not be there, but we know how good we are,” said Morris. “And I think it starts with that, just believing and understanding the team that we have, the group that we have, and knowing that we can compete with anyone in this league.”
