Los Angeles FC won all three matches against Austin in 2021, including the Verde’s inaugural MLS match, before Austin turned around and won both meetings this season. Twelve of the 15 goals scored in the five meetings between Austin and LAFC have been scored in the second half, including eight in the final 30 minutes of matches.
Diego Fagundez has been big for Austin, against LAFC as he’s scored (3) or assisted (2) on five of the seven goals the Verde have scored against them. Fagundez has scored eight MLS goals since September 2021, with three of those coming against LAFC.
Los Angeles FC’s 3-2 win over the Galaxy in the Conference Semifinals was its 10th win in its last 11 home matches, only losing on Decision Day to Nashville after having clinched the Supporter’s Shield. The five-goal thriller was another was another high scoring playoff game at Banc of California Stadium, which has seen a total of 22 goals scored in four postseason games.
LAFC’s only two postseason wins have come over the Galaxy at home, in the 2019 and Conference 2022 Conference Semifinals. Los Angeles has lost two of its four home playoff matches while losing just nine times in its 79 regular season hoe games (W50 D20).
With its win over Dallas on Sunday, Austin FC became just the third expansion team in MLS history to advance in its first two rounds of postseason play in club history, joining the Fire (won first 3 including MLS Cup) in 1998 and Nashville (won play-in and first round)in 2020.
As the shootout win over over Real Salt Lake counted officially as a draw, Austin hasn’t won consecutive matches since a four-match winning streak in June-July. To snap that, Austin will have to win on the road for the first time since July 30. Austin has lost four straight away games, failing to score in the last three, while being outscored, 10-1, in those games.
Cristian Arango saved LAFC from extra time against the Galaxy with a 93rd-minute winner last Thursday. Arango has been by far LAFC’s most consistent attacker since he debuted in MLS last August, scoring 31 times, 19 more than any teammate (Vela). In fact, only Golden Boot winner Hany Mukhtar (35) has more goals than Arango since his MLS debut last year.
Austin FC followed its playoff record-setting 38-shot performance against Real Salt Lake with another 18 attempts against Dallas on Sunday. Austin’s 56 shots over two matches are the most by a team in a two-game pan in a single postseason in MLS history and the most in any two-game span since San Jose took 64 shots over two games in August 2019.
