Analyzing LAFC’s Offseason Rebuild
Since the club’s founding in 2014, it’s fair to say that Los Angeles FC have enjoyed quite a busy decade in Major League Soccer. They finished with the best regular-season record in MLS during their second season in 2021. They won their second Supporters’ Shield in 2022 and followed it up by winning the MLS Cup in the postseason. They finished as runners-up in the Concacaf Champions League in 2020 and 2023, and in 2024, they also won their first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup.
The Black and Gold have also been able to field a host of big-name players. From Gareth Bale to Giorgio Chiellini to Carlos Vela, quite a few veteran superstars have been able to leave their mark at BMO Field and help LAFC become a powerhouse in MLS. The 2024 season would see LAFC lose to Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup Final and finish with the best record in the Western Conference, albeit level on 64 points with crosstown rivals LA Galaxy.
However, it was the Galaxy who had the last laugh. LAFC were able to edge Vancouver Whitecaps across three legs to book their spot in the Conference Semifinals, where they faced off against Seattle Sounders. Ryan Hollingshead opened the scoring after halftime, but Seattle would equalize shortly after via an own goal from Maxime Chanot. Jordan Morris sealed the comeback in the 109th minute and knocked LAFC out of the playoffs in their own stadium, whilst the Galaxy would go on to win the MLS Cup.
Since that heartbreaking elimination, plenty has stayed the same at LAFC, but plenty has changed as well. They’ve managed to keep hold of their two French veterans Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris, both of whom started in France’s 2018 World Cup-winning team, as well as Denis Bouanga, whose 21 goals in the 2024 MLS regular season were bettered only by D.C. United’s Christian Benteke.
Nonetheless, they’ve also suffered their fair share of outgoings. Veteran stars like Ilie Sánchez (34), Jesús Murillo (30), Kei Kamara (40) and Vela (35) have departed for free, whilst youngsters Tommy Musto (21) and Luis Müller (23) have also left following the expiry of their contracts. Érik Dueñas (20) has made the move to Houston Dynamo, Diego Rosales (19) has gone south of the border and joined Chivas’ academy, Bajung Darboe (18) has moved to Bayern Munich’s academy, whilst Tomás Ángel (21) has joined MLS expansion team San Diego FC.
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However, perhaps the two most costly outgoings have been Omar Campos (22) and Mateusz Bogusz (23). Campos competed with Hollingshead for the starting left wingback position in Steven Cherundolo’s 3-4-3 formation, whilst Bogusz excelled alongside Giroud and Bouanga in attack and racked up 16 goals and 8 assists. Both players have taken their talents to Liga MX and will be suiting up for Mexican powerhouse Cruz Azul this year.
As far as incomings, they’ve managed to shore up their midfield with the loan signing of Odin Thiago Holm (22) from Celtic, whilst Igor Jesus (21) has joined from Portuguese side Estrela da Amadora for €4 million. They’ve also been able to replenish their squad with a litany of MLS veterans like LA Galaxy’s Mark Delgado (29), FC Dallas’ Nkosi Tafari (27), Columbus Crew’s Yaw Yeboah (27), and San Jose Earthquakes’ Jeremy Ebobisse (27).
With the American transfer window set to open on January 31, it seems that we could see quite a few more arrivals at LAFC, and one player who is expected to join in the coming days is Artem Smolyakov. At the tender age of 21, Smolyakov has already racked up 70 appearances in Ukraine’s top-flight and emerged as the starting left back for Ukraine’s U-21 side, and he looks set to replace Campos and challenge Hollingshead for the starting position on the left side of LAFC’s backline.
“Smolyakov is a versatile fullback who can operate on either side, but is more comfortable down the left flank,” said Ukrainian football expert Andrew Todos to RG. “He’s a pacey player with good positional play who likes bursting up the pitch and has a wonder goal in his locker. “Smolyakov is a consistent performer and a hard worker who does a lot of running down the flank and who is pretty good with his duels. Perhaps he needs to improve his attacking return from crosses if he’s going to be deployed as a wing-back, but he’s a good player who can develop further.
As the 2025 MLS season looms large, all signs point to LAFC continuing to add depth and rebuild their squad ahead of what promises to be a busy campaign. After a successful, albeit unfulfilled 2024 season, LAFC will be looking to transform their roster and prepare to reclaim their spot as the champions of MLS.
By: Zach Lowy / @ZachLowy
Featured Image: @GabFoligno / Matthew Ashton – AMA – Getty / Patrick T. Fallon – AFP