VIDEO: Did Thorrington get it right? Breaking down LAFC’s busy off-season

This post was originally published on the Voices of the Black and Gold website.  VOBG is a weekly podcast, hosted by Nick Chastain and co-hosted by Erik Hultstrom and Celso Oliveira.  In this week’s episode, the focus is MLS Cup champion LAFC and whether General Manager John Thorrington’s moves in the off-season will be enough to carry the Black and Gold to success in the year following the magical season of the Double.

And who can ever forget or, even more, think about topping off a year when LAFC captured both the Supporter’s Shield and the MLS Cup, the first team to do so in a very long time? Will the Concachamps suck LAFC dry, preventing the team from competing domestically, or will this roster find ways to do what others failed to do so in the past?

Dynasties are hard to build in MLS

There’s no one-size-fits-all approach to winning in MLS. The years have proven that it’s usually up to the coaching staff and front office (and the extraordinary relationship the two must have) to find creative ways to get the most out of the roster and the rules surrounding it to compete in multiple competitions in an exact calendar year. For the most part, I think LAFC has addressed the departures from this year while trying, at least on paper, to patch what were two significant issues down the stretch for the Black and Gold: right back and central midfielder. In the latter, it seemed LAFC was constantly looking for answers, only to be stopped in the dichotomy of the Blessing / Cifuentes tandem. This standard rotation took place in games during 2022, but offered little range for the coaching staff to deploy any change in tactics.

Defense gains a step

But before going into the midfield, it’s worth noting that defensively, the Black and Gold should be a better version of themselves in 2023 with Sergi Palencia joining from St Etienne and Aaron Long from the Red Bulls of NY. Long brings leadership to the group as a former captain, and will pair up with Jesus Murillo and veteran Georgio Chiellini to compose one of the most complete groups of center-backs in the league. The team also has the privilege of having a healthy Eddie Segura for an entire season. And with a young Mamadou Fall on loan during what looks to be a permanent transfer abroad, LAFC has undoubtedly come a long way since the days of Walker Zimmerman in the realm. The question is, of course, the health of the aging core: the average age of an LAFC center back is 29 years old. In addition, in 2022, all players missed time with injury, and we all know nothing can derail a season faster than injuries.

Right Back upgrade

I don’t know much about Sergi Palencia, but he may provide more stability at the position, having played almost 3000 minutes in La Liga 2 last season. Franco Escobar came as the de facto starter but, very early on, lost his job to Ryan Hollingshead, who played relatively well for LAFC in 2022. The UCLA alum showed he could play both sides of the field, spelling Chiqui Palacios as needed but ultimately retaining the position when the Ecuadorian left-back was back in the game. Overall, Sergi should win the job and start while allowing Ryan Hollinshead to spell both sides of the field equally. With the marathon of games to be played in 2023, this rotation shouldn’t be much of an issue for the players. Having a Swiss army knife-like Ryan Hollingshead who can play both sides and score goals is certainly a massive benefit in the search for a repeat season.

LAFC’s midfield depth

If the situation in defense seems stable, the midfield may pose a different challenge for the coaches. The starters are well-defined, with Acosta, Cifu, and Ilie doing the honors in the 6, but there’s very little we know beyond the three. Latif Blessing is gone, and the once thin midfield became even lighter. I’m happy to see Tim Tillman joining from what appears to be a healthy pipeline of players, the second divisions of the premier European leagues. Since the off-season began, LAFC has signed several players from European clubs, many of them from relegated teams who need cash.

The 6 is the only position that concerns me since Sebas Mendez left for Brazil, leaving Daniel Crisostomo as the only option in case Ilie Sanchez goes down. Unless Danny gained a step or two, I’m just not ready for 2021. It’s too soon. So, I sure hope Ilie can continue his fantastic play at LAFC without missing significant time away from injury; otherwise, LAFC may need to make a move again or recall Pancho Ginella from Uruguay. Maybe he will return to MLS as a better, more complete player.

Stipe Biuk: LAFC’s next superstar?

And, of course, there was news that LAFC was splashing big in the off-season, signing the second most expensive transfer in its history for 7 million dollars to retain the services of a young Croatian star who would join as a U22 initiative player.

Stipe Biuk is Black & Gold.

📝 #LAFC signs forward Stipe Biuk from Croatia’s Hajduk Split to a four-year contract through the 2026 season.

— LAFC (@LAFC) December 30, 2022

Maybe I was enjoying myself on vacation a little bit too much, but otherwise, I found LAFC’s signing of Stipe Biuk one of the club’s quietest events in a while. Thorrington seems to enjoy the charm of bringing players in-season: you never know what the roster will need by August and how newly acquired players that are brought in will ultimately fit an existing project, by then, it’s sink or swim. In the case of Stipe, it seems LAFC wanted the young player to join in as early as possible so that the team could see almost an immediate return on their new 6.95 million dollar purchase. And Stipe will get chances since the departures of Chicho Arango, and Danny Musovski left Coach Dolo and his staff with limited choices up front for the beginning of the 2023 season. Don’t be surprised to see Cifuentes picking up minutes as the 9 for Dolo if the goals don’t come from the young Croatian. Stipe’s scoring ability will be a significant question mark for this team. With Chicho leaving, where will the goals come from?

With the retirement of now-LAFC hero Gareth Bale following a magical 2022, the Black and Gold will need to rely on newly signed Denis Bouanga and a couple of young stars to find the back of the net: Opoku and Stipe Biuk. It’s certainly a risky plan, but with a stable supporting cast of Carlos Vela, and Jose Cifuentes behind them, the two young guns and the Gabonese star could find space to flourish and score many goals. And Bouanga? Well, he could turn into a Golden Boot winner in 2023, much like Rossi did in 2020; he’s that good, and LAFC expects a lot from him.

So the question remains whether JT and LAFC have done enough to revert a long history of league failures, a team tends to embark on the season after lifting the MLS Cup. I’d guess LAFC signs and splashes again during the summer transfer, looking at older household names eyeing a quick exit or retirement in the near future. It turned out that troublemaker Aubameyang is staying at Chelsea, but knowing LAFC’s front office, they will continue to explore opportunities as they present themselves. And as far as repeating the success of 2022 goes, it will take some synchronicity and a bit of luck. In recent history, only two teams repeated: the Houston Dynamo in 2007 and the Los Angeles Galaxy 5 years later. On December 1, 2012, the Galaxy won their second-straight MLS Cup victory over the Houston Dynamo, 3–1. The team featured David Beckham, Robbie Keane, and Landon Donovan, 3 of its most iconic players.

Cover / LAFC Twitter