Jacob Shaffelburg can’t be sure that he’s the fleetest Los Angeles Football Club player. David Martinez, Tyler Boyd, Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min bring serious speed across LAFC’s attack, plus a galloper like center back Aaron Long, which means Shaffelburg’s status as the fastest guy in black and gold is up in the air.
“There’s so many fast guys on this team it’s crazy,” Shaffelburg said Friday. “It’s so cool to be around.”
For the 26-year-old Canadian winger, that status has generally belonged to him during his nine-year Major League Soccer career. Early in his first campaign with LAFC, however, it’s too soon to tell.
And not just because of the traits of his teammates.
Recovering from preseason surgery to repair a degenerative groin injury that had him in and out of pain over the past year playing for Nashville and the Canadian national team, Shaffelburg debuted with LAFC last weekend feeling good that that experience was over.
Now he’s focused on helping the team and getting his speed back to full Flash.
“My tank definitely gets emptied pretty quick right now, but it does feel like it’s getting back to where I should be,” Shaffelburg said. “Every day I’m feeling better and better.
“The speed will come. I just gotta have a moment in the game when I’m feeling good and the ball gets in behind. But I feel like I’m right there.”
Delivering a confidence-boosting assist during a half hour versus versus Orlando last weekend, he then went 20 minutes against Cruz Azul in the first leg of a CONCACAF Champions Cup quarterfinal match Tuesday.
“It’s been a bit of a struggle getting my fitness back,” Shaffelburg said, “but to be on the field with these guys has been amazing and the body’s holding up so I’m happy about it.”
Shaffelburg’s return included having his face slammed hard into the turf against Orlando, leaving a purple Harry Potterish welt on his forehead.
“I was like, no chance I can go out after being out,” he said.
The process of seeing Shaffelburg hum at 100% will call for an uptick in minutes Saturday during a nationally televised MLS contest at the Portland Timbers (1-4-1, 6 points). The hosts have conceded 15 goals, most in the conference.
Collecting 16 of 18 points, LAFC (5-0-1) shut out the opposition in six straight league games to begin the year, an MLS record. After LAFC’s nine wins and two draws in all competitions, being able to introduce Shaffelburg feels like a luxury until you look at LAFC’s schedule through the World Cup break in June.
In the midst of seven matches over 22 days, the Black & Gold could participate in 16 through the end of May if they reach the CONCACAF Champions Cup final.
That’s a match every three and a half days, and a call for all hands on deck.
“We have to prioritize some games in the short term that have a lot of opportunity for players that maybe haven’t started a lot to finally get minutes and show what they could bring to the team,” LAFC coach Marc Dos Santos said.
Integrating Shaffelburg into a group that can field two full sets of starting XI worthy lineups presents quality to choose from, now and throughout the year.
“Hopefully we’re going to have him at the best of his ability at the right time,” Dos Santos said.
Shaffelburg has played along the left side so far, displaying crossing ability that appears to be an upgrade in that spot. He can play on the right, too, attacking space while coming inside to strike with his favored left foot.
“You’ve got guys you’re bringing off the bench that are starters everywhere else in this league,” said defender Ryan Hollingshead, who said in that way this group reminds him of LAFC’s 2022 MLS Cup championship squad. “So when you have that sort of depth, it makes it really, really dangerous. I don’t want to get ahead of myself, but we are very, very confident in this locker room.”
LAFC AT PORTLAND TIMBERS
When: 1:45 p.m. Saturday
Where: Providence Park, Portland, Ore.
TV/Radio: FOX (Ch. 11), Apple TV/710 AM, 980 AM, 1230 AM