"Since the club entered MLS in 2018, no team has won more games, scored more goals, earned more points or won more trophies than LAFC. Yet as Dos Santos, a top assistant for five of those eight seasons, was hugging and mugging with some of the people who are soon to become his fiercest critics, another supporter approached general manager John Thorrington with a question."
"If Dos Santos had been uncertain about the job description, that question made things clear: being the best is no longer good enough. He will have to be better than that. And Dos Santos is not just fine with that, he's embracing it. "I knew the pressure," he said. "You live once. You live scared, buy a Doberman or something, right? It's a great opportunity. But I think it's a privilege when you coach a team in Los Angeles."
"Oh, did we also mention that just winning isn't enough? For LAFC's famously demanding supporters, how you win is almost as important. "We have to win and we have to entertain," Thorrington said. "We've done a lot of that over the years. But we have to drill down on that." That means attacking, staying on the front foot, being aggressive, relentless and tireless. Also no problem for Dos Santos, since that's exactly the kind of soccer he likes to play."
Marc Dos Santos was introduced as LAFC's third head coach and immediately engaged with fans at BMO Stadium. LAFC has led MLS since 2018 in wins, goals, points and trophies, creating very high expectations. Supporters questioned how Dos Santos' promotion from a long-serving assistant would translate into clear change, signaling that being the best historically is insufficient. Club leadership insists that victory must be paired with entertainment and an attacking identity. Dos Santos accepts the pressure and commits to a relentless, front-foot style that prioritizes consistent intensity and aggressive, entertaining soccer.
Read at Los Angeles Times
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