After the suspension of the opening classic against Los Angeles Galaxy, Los Angeles FC, of Mexican striker Carlos Vela, debuts this Saturday, at 6:30 pm (Brasília time), in the new season of the North American Soccer League (MLS) seeking to be the first team to retain the title in a decade.
The duel between Los Angeles FC and Portland Timbers will open a second round of the MLS that will also bring the expected debut of the St. Louis City in front of their fans in this emblematic city for football in the United States.
After giving LAFC its first championship star, Carlos Vela faces the new campaign with even greater responsibilities at the age of 34.
The Mexican will carry the weight of an attack that has already lost Welshman Gareth Bale and Colombian Cristian Arango.
Bale, who retired after the Qatar World Cuphad an almost decorative passage through the franchise, but scored an important goal in the championship final, while Arango, transferred to Mexican Pachuca, was LAFC’s top scorer last year with 18 goals.
Vela, who had a record of 12 goals and 11 assists, will be able to add Gabonese forward Denis Bouanga as LAFC continue to take three points on their debut in the league, as they have done in the past five seasons.
“This group is still hungry,” coach Steve Cherundolo emphasized this week. “Since the first day of this pre-season, everyone has really wanted to play. The performance has been very good.”
Galaxy without Chicharito
The Los Angeles Galaxy, the most successful MLS franchise with five titles and the last to win a second championship (2011 and 2012), will also start the season this Saturday, at 22:30 (Brasília time), after the derby against LAFC in Last week had to be canceled due to heavy storms.
The Galaxy will make its debut against FC Dallas in a season in which it has great aspirations after qualifying for the last playoffs, after two years of absence.
In the first few weeks, however, he will have to play without Mexican striker Javier ‘Chicharito’ Hernández, injured in his right leg.
The team of Los Angeles trusts that Riqui Puig, or talented meia revealed not Barcelonawill explore all its quality after a first year of adaptation.
“I want to be the MVP, I want to win everything. I want to be an MLS star and make my name in this city. I’m going to work hard to achieve that,” said Puig this week, who went on to occupy one of three ‘designated player’ positions at the Galaxy (who earn a salary above the ceiling allowed by the league).
In turn, the Philadelphia Union, runners-up last year, will have a difficult test in the field of Inter Miami, who added the first three points by beating Montreal by 2-0.
With 98 goals in 135 games, Venezuelan striker Josef Martínez wants to establish himself as the fastest to score 100 goals in MLS against Union.
This record is held until now by Bradley Wright-Phillips, a former New York Red Bulls player, who reached 100 goals in 159 games.
The long wait for St. Louis
Another of the great moments of the second round will be the debut of St. Louis City in front of its fans, which ends a 45-year wait for this emblematic American city with a special connection to football to enjoy a team of the highest category.
The brand new Citypark stadium, built in the center of the city with a capacity for 22,500 seats, will be full on Saturday, at 10:30 pm (Brasília time), to receive Charlotte.
A small group of fans already traveled to Texas last week for the opening game against Austin FC and enjoyed a thrilling 3-2 victory thanks to a late goal from Brazilian striker João Klauss.
The City of St. Louis had a very close relationship with football and already in 1950 contributed five players to the team that beat England in the World Cup, in Brazil.
Each US team has had at least one player born or raised in that city in every World Cup it has played.
At club level, however, it hasn’t had a top-flight turnout since St. Louis Stars of the former North American Soccer League (NASL) left town in 1978.
In the decades that followed, fans had to fill that void with college or lower league teams.
“I’ve seen people in stores talking about it and wearing the City shirt. It’s a lesson in humility and that should motivate us every day,” said the team’s coach, South African Bradley Carnell.
Source: Gazetaesportiva
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