Hello, Black and Gold faithful!
The 2024 season has come to an end. It’s time to reflect, say goodbye, and shift our focus toward the 2025 campaign.
(And let me tell you—I’ve been looking forward to Goalchella since the last one wrapped up 10 months ago!)
A 30,000-Foot View of 2024 LAFC
For me, the story of LAFC in 2024 goes like this:
- Captain Carlitos departs.
- The Young Guns learn to play—and win—without him.
- The front office brings in an aging World Cup-winning superstar with plans to add another.
- The team adjusts to a new style, moving away from its strengths.
- Young Guns who drove us to the top of the table get benched.
- The squad becomes stale and unmotivated.
Despite these challenges, we clinched the top spot in the Western Conference and entered the playoffs as the number one seed. However, the forced summer adjustments ultimately led to our downfall.
What Lies Ahead for LAFC?
My assumption for 2025 is that Giroud is staying, and the front office (FO) is determined to bring in Griezmann. Based on rumors and reports, this seems highly probable.
But how will this impact our playing style, particularly on the ball? As I will discuss further in the article, Does Giroud and Bouanga’s combination up front make sense? I’m not so sure. I think they may continue to clash instead of complementing. And we need complementary Futebol to contend for cups.
READ MORE: Surprise in Los Angeles: Seattle Sounders eliminate LAFC
Tactical Shifts
In July, we analyzed LAFC’s stats and noted an area of concern:
- 26th in MLS for completed crosses
- We relied on an inverted left back and a defensive-minded right back, limiting crossing opportunities.
- Most successful crosses came during fast counterattacks, with wingers often opting to shoot themselves.
Giroud struggled to keep up with our transition-heavy approach, frequently caught offside. His stats reflect this:
- 850 minutes played (regular season + playoffs):
- 0 goals
- 3 assists
- 2 shots on target
To accommodate Giroud, LAFC must transition to a slower build-up and possession-focused style. This change will likely reduce counter-pressing in favor of a mid-block when possession is lost.
Midfield Dynamics
Midfield changes were another 2024 challenge. Eduard Atuesta was benched in favor of Tim Tillman and Lewis O’Brien.
Atuesta is no longer with the team, and his loan option was not triggered. However, a midfielder with visionary passing will be critical to the team’s success with Giroud.
Here’s how their stats compared:
| Player | Long Balls/90 | Assists/90 | Key Passes/90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Atuesta | 2.57 | 0.25 | 2.03 |
| Tillman | 1.08 | 0.25 | 1.26 |
| O’Brien | 1.03 | 0.11 | 2.06 |
| Sanchez | 0.92 | 0.12 | 1.08 |
For context, here’s how Designated Players (DPs) from other teams performed:
| Player | Long Balls/90 | Assists/90 | Key Passes/90 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Puig | 4.90 | 0.53 | 2.16 |
| Evander | 1.75 | 0.70 | 3.26 |
| Rusnak | 0.89 | 0.57 | 2.97 |
O’Brien excelled in shorter, key passes. However, neither Tillman nor O’Brien consistently delivered line-breaking passes, which are essential for a more possession-based play where Giroud can fully utilize his strengths.
Wingers & Fullbacks
Forwards like Bogusz and Martinez could thrive in a possession-oriented setup. Here’s how our wingers fared in 2024:
| Player | Key Passes/90 | Assists/90 | Cross Accuracy (%) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bogusz | 2.26 | 0.24 | 35.92 |
| Martinez | 1.00 | 0.40 | 8.33 |
| Bouanga | 1.96 | 0.36 | 27.69 |
Martinez and Bogusz, with their playmaking tendencies, fit well with Giroud and Griezmann up front. Meanwhile, Bouanga’s direct style may not suit this slower build-up approach. A TRANSFER SHOULD be on the table, with Liga MX clubs showing interest. The passing numbers for Bogusz make him a far better value. Partnered with Griezmann up front, I think this is a far more pragmatic approach.
Martinez is the next up in-depth, and we can start developing another forward. I will also put it out there that Ordaz will likely do better with this setup. He has good passing numbers as well, but in 2024, he lacked the confidence at times to go at goal. He had a .73 assist per 90, which is among the highest in the league, though he didn’t play a lot of minutes. Nonetheless, it is a promising number.
Fullback performance in crossing
- Hollingshead: 21.43%
- Palencia: 22.86%
- Campos: 30%
Campos may replace Hollingshead at left back, while Olivera could shift to right back—a position that will be needed in 2025.
Building the Roster
Midfield: We need a progressive passer with a defensive work rate. A player like Allan (Botafogo) could anchor the midfield, allowing a more visionary passing midfielder to complement a pressing and carrying midfielder like Tillman or O’Brien without becoming more vulnerable in transition.
ALLAN É ALVINEGRO!
Volante chega ao Glorioso com contrato firmado até o final de 2026.
Leia no site: https://t.co/uLZLGbkK4C
— Botafogo F.R. (@Botafogo) July 1, 2024
Defense: Aaron Long looks like he will join Chicago under Berhalter, I speculate Murillo will be re-signed, Marlon, if he stays healthy, has potential to be a top defender in the league. But he will need to stay healthy. In 2020, he failed a medical to join Everton, and early this year, he failed to join Emirates side Al Ain.
Chanot is under contract to round out the core. Depth will depend on Delavalle’s recovery from his ACL tear.
Goalkeeper: Lloris is set to return in 2025, leaving backup as the only question.
These are my post-season hot takes. If you have complaints, you can direct them to my Twitter account, @erik_hultstrom. Good luck with that.
No matter what, we’ll always support our Black and Gold!
—Erik Hultstrom, Columnist, Territorio MLS