"Both teams qualified for the Western Conference semi-finals without needing a Game 3 in the previous round, with LAFC knocking out Austin FC while Vancouver got the better of FC Dallas over two games. The Whitecaps last faced LAFC at the end of June, winning 1-0, but both sides have made notable additions to their squad since. LAFC have added Son Heung-min to their ranks, whereas Vancouver have bolstered their attack with the signing of Thomas Muller. Cherundolo praised the depth of Vancouver's squad, while stating that both clubs now have stronger players than ever before."
""They're subbing in three, four really quality players on the offensive end to change the trajectory of games if the game is not going according to their game plan," said Cherundolo. "I think it's certainly the most competitive LAFC-Vancouver [matchup] we've seen yet if you break it down by player to player.""
""We don't talk about what happened [in previous years] because it's a long time ago," said Sorensen. "If we talk about this season, we played LAFC twice and we've done OK. Yet it's still a different team because Son came in for them since we played them last time, and Thomas [Muller] also came in for us. "Both players made a mark on both teams. So it's always new and we're not talking about what happened [previously].""
LAFC and the Vancouver Whitecaps advance to the Western Conference semi-finals after straight two-game wins in the previous round. The Whitecaps beat LAFC 1-0 at the end of June, but both clubs have since added high-profile attackers — LAFC signed Son Heung-min and Vancouver signed Thomas Muller. LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo highlighted Vancouver's offensive depth and called the matchup the most competitive between the clubs when compared player to player. Vancouver coach Jesper Sorensen emphasized roster changes and treated the upcoming fixture as a fresh challenge rather than a continuation of past results. LAFC have a strong recent record at BC Place.
Read at Soccer News
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