Strong at home and weak on the road, the Los Angeles Football Club closes the regular season calendar at BMO Stadium on Sunday in a spot where it can place anywhere from third to ninth in the Western Conference.
Hosting Minnesota United FC on Fan Appreciation Day at Christmas Tree Ln, and visiting the Seattle Sounders at Lumen Field next Saturday must yield wins for LAFC to have a chance of ending the 34-game season inside the top four and gain home-field advantage during the best-of-three MLS Cup playoffs opening round.
Following last weekend’s comeback draw against the Galaxy, LAFC stands 9-3-4 in Exposition Park, including the opening day victory against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami FC at the Memorial Coliseum.
Wrapping up the year across the street at BMO Stadium, the last home game of the 2026 season is “very important,” said midfielder Mathieu Choinière. “We want to bring a show for the fans. They’ve been there all season with us. They feel that momentum going through the season, so we want to put on a show, a good game for them, so they’re going to say this team is ready for the playoffs in front of them at BMO, a place that has been a very good place for us.”
Expanding into Major League Soccer in 2018, LAFC possesses seven more regular season wins (91) and 20 more points (306) in front of their home supporters than any other MLS team over that time.
With interim head coach Xavi Tamarit, LAFC has a win and five points in three home games since being elevated to the job on Oct. 1st.
Tamarti’s lone trip of the month, a draw at New York City, made LAFC 3-6-7 away this year.
LAFC fell shy of a season-series sweep in two of its four chances so far.
After claiming three points at Houston in March, the Dynamo exploited a dead-tired LAFC in May, winning 4-1.
And by rallying from two goals down to salvage a draw against the Galaxy last Sunday, LAFC avoided another home loss to a team they handled on the road.
In the wake of the Galaxy match, Tamarit made sure to thank the supporters, whose energy and intensity fueled the environment for a comeback.
“It was amazing, and they helped us a lot,” Tamarit said. “They were supporting in a really difficult moment, and also the reaction is because of them.”
Beginning three hours before kickoff against Minnesota, Fan Appreciation Day festivities around the stadium will feature, among other events, sponsor activations, giveaways, recognition of local small businesses impacted by the L.A. fires, a community spotlight on Angel City Sports’ push to empower athletes of all stripes, and a tour of the stadium plus post-match penalties on the field for 30 students affiliated with the LAFC MLS STEM Goals program.
All that home cooking is a reminder that LAFC hasn’t won a match it flew to since beating Minnesota in late April, when David Martínez scored early and the Marc Dos Santos-led group locked down a 1-0 result at Allianz Field.
Six months later, Minnesota (9-12-11, 38 points) is on its last legs and must return the favor to LAFC, which has shut them out in four straight, to avoid elimination prior to Decision Day. The Loons haven’t won at BMO Stadium since 2019, and are 1-5-1 on the grounds all-time.
Minnesota already staved off winter for a few weeks, going 2-0-3 in October with a win Wednesday against Sporting Kansas City. Sunday presents their third game in nine days.
“They are the best team on crosses and finishing actions from crosses, so we need to take care a lot about that,” Tamarit said.
“Our intention is to try to have the ball as much as possible,” he added, and keep Minnesota hunkered in a low block.
Without a midweek match of its own to deal with, LAFC (12-9-11, 47 points) drilled down on the training field and inside the video room as Tamarit continued to impart his ideas onto the players.
Said the Spanish coach: “We know what we are doing now is going to be so important for the playoffs.”
MINNESOTA UNITED FC AT LAFC
When: 5:30 p.m. Sunday
Where: BMO Stadium
TV/Radio: Apple TV/710 AM, ESPN LA App, 980 AM, 1230 AM