Saturday, July 19 | 7:30 pm pt | Posted by Strauss
🏟| BMO Stadium – Los Angeles, CA – The gates open at 6 pm
🖥 | MLS Season Pass on Apple TV
🎪|3:30-7 pm
🛍| LAFC HQ is open 10:00-5:30 PM through the external entrance and 6-9 PM through the internal entrance.
🕹|Advanced from 5:30-7:30 pm before the arcade preliminaries, 90 minutes after the final whistle.
LAFC welcomed its Southern California rivals to the BMO Stadium Saturday night for the controversial Metropolitan Derby known as El Tráfico. The series between LAFC and Galaxy (both their stadiums are separated by a 12-mile highway, and they have been the most exciting thing in the league since they first rode eight years ago.
Galaxy is one of the founding clubs of MLS and started competition in 1996. As Black & Gold’s first MLS season came to meet 25 times in all competitions since its inaugural MLS season in 2018, the older clubs have the Slim 10W-9L-6D Edge, including LAFC’s 2W-0L-0D advantage in the MLS Cup playoffs.
Competitiveness, star power and thin edges have always been the hallmark of the Derby. The series scored 54 out of LAFC's 53 goals. Only 9 of their 25 meetings were decided by more than one goal. 16 are determined or drawn by one ball.
LAFC entered Saturday night's 13 straight games, with only one loss (7W-1L-5D). Black & Gold is currently ranked fourth in the Western Conference with a total record of 10W-5L-5D (35 points), with three straight wins in the MLS game, including a 1-0 victory at Minnesota on Wednesday night. However, when LAFC and Galaxy meet, the form is often irrelevant.
“These derby people are different,” said head coach Steve Cherundolo. “You don't have to think of the winning streak in these games. You have to prepare for the surprises. Every time we play with each other, there are always exciting moments, and I hope the same moment at BMO on Saturday. We'll be ready for that.”
Cherundolo announced three months ago that he would resign at the end of the 2025 MLS season, with his record against the Galaxy of 6W-5L-1D since arriving at LAFC in 2022, including two three-game winning streaks. In the history of the derby, the Galaxy has never played three consecutive games. LAFC is the only MLS team to beat the Galaxy twice last year in the GS 2024 MLS Cup championship season.
LAFC is currently ranked ninth in the 30 team matches of Supporters Shields (granted to MLS clubs with the best regular season record). LAFC has at least two of the three teams in the Western Conference standings (San Diego, Vancouver and Minnesota). LAFC and Inter Miami played the least games in the MLS (20), at least two fewer than all other teams in the league.
Three-time All-Star Denis Bouanga leads goals (11) and assists (7) in the MLS game this season. Bouanga scored his 11th MLS goal of the year in all matches Wednesday night, and he scored his 85th goal in all matches, leaving him with only 8 goals (93) in club history (Part 2) at most.
The French-born winger has scored eight goals in all games against the Galaxy and has scored in all of the last five games. His next goal against the Galaxy will keep him tied with former Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimović and ranked second on the Derby's all-time scoring roster. Only Vela scored more goals in this series (12).
The 1-0 victory over Minnesota on Wednesday evening was LAFC's second road win in the MLS game and the first win for Loons'Some Pitch Allianz Field.
In the case of Achilles injured on July 12 against Dallas, no captain and starting center guard Aaron Long, the Black and Gold medals inserted Nkosi Tafari into Nkosi Tafari, inserted 11 in Long's game and transferred its shape from 4-3-3 to the five rebounding setup, with Eddie Segura and Eddie Segura and Sergian smlend and smolan Antem and Artem and Tafari and tofriia and the and tofriia and tafari themand contact line as defenders.
In 90 minutes, LAFC's firm defensive efforts only scored three shots on target, which was the league's most dangerous attack. Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris handled everyone comfortably, wearing the captain's armband and recording his eighth clean sheet in the league in 2025.
The Galaxy is in No. 15 in the West (3W-14L-6D, 15 points) after losing 2-1 to Austin on Wednesday night. The Carson-based club continues to struggle after its MLS Cup championship season, largely due to midfielder Riqui Puig, the club's Player of the Year 2023 and 2024, and the 2024 MLS Best XI option. Puig (17 goals, 19 assists in all 24 years) injured his knee in the playoffs last season and, despite his recent return to limited training, is expected to play in the near future.
Puig's team showed signs of improvement in his absence. Before Austin's defeat, the Galaxy dropped only one of the first six games, in that spanning 3W-1L-2D. After a 2-2 draw with LAFC on May 18, Galaxy scored 3W-4L-2D on the next nine outings, collecting 11 of their 15 points this season.
Midfielder and German legend Marco Reus played the role of facilitator in the Galaxy Attack and led the team to goals (five) and assists (seven). On May 18, Reus scored twice against LAFC when the team led 2-2 in Carson.
They led 1-0 to take a performance at Carson in May. LAFC won only one league game this season, with the first goal.
In the May 18 game, Reus scored just six minutes in the transition before LAFC settled down and scored twice to lead 2-1 into the closing ceremony. Reus' late free kick climbed over Lloris, providing the final 2-2 scoring line, contributing to LAFC's 1W-5L-4D record when acknowledging the first goal in the MLS game.
Its attack created a chance to win the final title in goals allowed (45 out of 23 games), goals differential 27th (MINUS-20), and has not yet won the MLS road race in 2025.
Goalkeeper John McCarthy (formerly LAFC) started against Black & Gold on May 18, but Novak Mićović kept shooting in every game, making 12 goals in nine games in that segment with a 3W-4L-2D.