Marc Dos Santos has made the message clear: LAFC need to stop settling for draws and get back to taking full points at home when they face Red Bull New York on Wednesday night. The Western Conference side return to BMO Stadium for the 7:30 p.m. PT kickoff on September 9, with Korean Heritage Night adding extra meaning to a game both teams need to feel their way through quickly.
LAFC come in third in the Western Conference after two straight road draws, including a 2-2 result at Real Salt Lake in Utah on Saturday night. Red Bull New York arrived after a 0-0 draw with Seattle Sounders, a result that left them 10th in the Eastern Conference and still searching for a more convincing run.
Marc Dos Santos: “We’re tying way too many games”
The LAFC head coach did not hide his frustration. His point was straightforward: the performances may be steady enough to keep LAFC in the mix, but steady is not the same as decisive.
“Our focus is to get back to [earning] the full three points,” Dos Santos said, while also stressing that “we’re tying way too many games.” He added that the next match is the one that matters most, saying, “Now we have to look for the three points at home against New York … Our next game is the most important one on Wednesday.”
That is the tone of a coach who knows the table can be nudged by small margins, but who also understands that a team pushing toward the top cannot afford to let home matches drift into another stalemate.
LAFC's attack still has the firepower
There is no shortage of quality in the final third. LAFC’s attack is led by Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min, and that is the area where they should feel strongest in front of their own crowd. When a team has that kind of end-product available, the expectation is simple: create enough, finish enough, and avoid leaving points behind.
The broader context matters too. Since the FIFA World Cup break, LAFC have lost only twice in 12 matches in all competitions and have outscored opponents 17-9. Since August 1, though, their goal differential has slipped to negative-1 over nine matches. That does not suggest a collapse, but it does suggest a side that has been living too close to the edge.
Red Bull New York arrive young and stubborn
Red Bull New York are not arriving as a team that will be intimidated easily. The source around this game described them as having the youngest starting XI in league history and the youngest roster in MLS, which tells you something about the profile of the side LAFC must manage.
They are also being led in scoring by Julian Hall, giving them a player who can matter even in a match where possession, structure and patience become important. A scoreless draw against Seattle Sounders may not have shifted the mood dramatically, but it did at least show a team capable of staying organised.
For LAFC, that creates a familiar kind of test. The question is not whether they can produce moments. It is whether they can do enough of the game’s basic work to make those moments count.
Why this match matters now
LAFC sit third in the Western Conference, which keeps the bigger picture positive. But the recent run of draws means there is a practical pressure on this match that goes beyond the occasion of Korean Heritage Night at BMO Stadium.
Dos Santos has been direct about the standard he wants. At home, especially against a side still looking for rhythm in the Eastern Conference, this is exactly the kind of fixture where LAFC are expected to turn control into points. If they do that, the mood changes quickly. If they do not, the conversation around too many draws will only grow louder.
