Derby matches are always fun, but Zlatan Ibrahimović’s comments before LA Galaxy vs LAFC only added to the anticipation. Not only did he claim he was the best player in the MLS, but he also went as far as to say he was levels above the league’s top scorer Carlos Vela. The Swede certainly backed his comments up by scoring a perfect hat-trick in the 3-2 win.
LAFC’s high press led to a penalty in the game’s opening four minutes. Despite this, LA Galaxy’s tactics were too much to overcome. We will discover what those tactics were, and how LA Galaxy won the match, in this tactical analysis.
Lineups
Unsurprisingly, both Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Bob Bradley selected strong starting elevens. LAFC set up in their tried and trusted 4-3-3, while LA Galaxy maintained a variation of the five-man midfield that we have seen in the past.
LAFC high press
Right off the bat, LAFC utilised their high pressing style to put LA Galaxy under pressure. As this tactic has been discussed in depth in other analysis pieces, we won’t spend too much time on it, however, it is important to mention it for the context of the rest of this article.
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