As it stands now, Saturday night’s El Tráfico matchup at BMO Stadium will be the final encounter of 2025 between the Steve Cherundolo-led Los Angeles Football Club and its rival, the six-time Major League Soccer champion Galaxy.
Stuck at the bottom of the Western Conference, 14 points shy of a wild-card spot with 11 regular-season games left, chances are slim to none that the Galaxy (3-14-6, 15 points) will qualify for the MLS postseason.
A far more likely but not sure thing: the rivalry could renew in the Leagues Cup once that competition reaches the semifinal round of the knockout phase.
But if not, their second regular-season meeting this year, the 26th between the two in all competitions, represents the earliest and quickest conclusion to the annual derby series since it kicked off in 2018. Previously, the fastest they concluded was Aug. 24 during LAFC’s expansion campaign.
Over the past seven seasons, arguably the most compelling MLS rivalry took place three times per year and (in 2020, 2022 and 2023) as many as four.
“Judging from texts and comments from others around the league who are not emotionally attached to that game, I know a lot of people tune in,” Cherundolo said Friday. “What I take from that is the more games we can get where the intensity level is raised, the better the MLS looks. I love coaching in these games.”
Presuming they don’t cross paths again in 2025, Cherundolo shall depart for the next chapter of his managerial career after coaching 13 times against the Galaxy – the same total Bob Bradley accumulated throughout his four-year run with the Black & Gold.
Bradley pieced together a 3-5-5 record against the Galaxy, eventually nailing down an El Tráfico victory in LAFC’s sixth try during the 2019 postseason.
Cherundolo’s squads enjoyed more success after a dozen encounters, going 6-5-1 including the first draw since Bradley’s final season when LAFC (10-5-5, 35 points) headed to Dignity Health Sports Park in mid-May.
The 46-year-old coach said his most memorable El Tráfico came in his debut season, when LAFC won an MLS Cup Western Conference semifinal showdown, 3-2, at BMO Stadium.
French winger Denis Bouanga scored two goals on a night when LAFC took its initial step toward winning a first league championship.
To the delight of his head coach, his teammates and the supporters, Bouanga has reliably produced in big moments well into his fourth year with the Black & Gold.
On Saturday, Bouanga can become the first player to score in six consecutive derbies, surpassing Carlos Vela. If so, he will equal Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s El Tráfico total of nine goals, trailing only Vela’s 12.
“For every derby I want to score,” Bouanga said through an interpreter. “Since I was a kid I have dreamt about those games.”
On Wednesday in St. Paul, Minnesota, a third straight clean sheet victory in eight days materialized for Bouanga and the boys after the 30-year-old three-time MLS All-Star bagged his 11th goal of the regular season, leaving him nine shy of tying Vela for the most in franchise history at 93.
Following the season-ending injury to captain Aaron Long, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was handed that role against Minnesota United FC.
Lloris excelled as captain over a record 121 games with the French national team, and across eight seasons with Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League.
Coming into El Tráfico, wearing the armband is “not something I was looking to get, but it usually comes to me naturally,” Lloris said. “It doesn’t change my mind or my spirit or my approach to the game. Also the way I am in the changing room towards my teammates. With the absence of Aaron I will do my best to make sure the team is going in the right direction.”
GALAXY AT LAFC
When: Saturday, 7:30 p.m.
Where: BMO Stadium
TV/Radio: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV/710 AM, 980 AM