The MLS playoffs reach have reached the serious stage as El Trafico takes place between the two biggest teams in California as LA Galaxy travel to take on Los Angeles FC.
The two teams are competing in the in the western conference semi-finals for a chance to play against the winner of the other semi-final between FC Dallas and Austin FC.
We'll break down the big game and both teams in it, then provide you with our best free MLS picks to see if we can earn you some extra cash for the weekend.
| MLS Playoffs: Conference Semi-Finals |  |  |  |
|---|---|---|---|
| Los Angeles FC | -132 | -145 | -136 |
| LA Galaxy | +320 | +340 | +330 |
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MLS playoffs: LA FC vs La Galaxy Information
- Thursday, October 20th, 2022
- 22:00 ET kick-off
- Banc of California Stadium, Los Angeles
- Live on FOX Deportes
LA FC season so far
The strongest team in the entire MLS without a doubt, Los Angeles FC lived up to the hype by claiming top spot in the western conference with a brilliant season, courtesy of the most winningest record in the conference.
They won six of their opening eight games of the season, losing just one - to the LA Galaxy. Through July and August they managed a seven-game winning streak, before four losses in their next five games put a real dent in their ambitions.
Thankfully for them though, wins over Houston Dynamo and Portland Timbers in the final three games were enough to seal them top spot and a bye in the playoffs to progress straight to this stage.
Their top scorer this season has been Cristian Arango with 16 goals in 34 appearances, closely followed by Carlos Vela's 12 goals in 32 goals.
They added world superstar Gareth Bale to their ranks mid-season too, although he's managed just two goals in 12 games so far in Hollywood.With the World Cup just weeks away though, we will be looking to get into top form before going away with Wales.
LA Galaxy season so far
The Galaxy made really tough work of their season, and it was a win on the final day that secured them the final spot in the playoffs.
They opened the season with four wins from six games but between May and July they picked up just four wins in 13 games, in a run that saw them beaten seven times, plus they lost their first game of August too for a really dismal run.
Galaxy went unbeaten in their next six, although they only won two of those, but ending the season with three wins from four games secured them a spot in the first round of the playoffs.
There they came up against Nashville FC, where a 1-0 win thanks to Julian Araujo's goal was enough to get them through to this stage of the season.
Javier 'Chicharito' Hernandez is unsurprisingly the team's top scorer this season, scoring 18 goals in 32 appearances in the MLS. Dejan Loveljic is a distant second top scorer, with 11 strikes.
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MLS Picks
Back LA FC to win in regular time
There is some serious strength in depth in LA this year, but it's quite comfortably largely in Los Angeles FC's favor rather than that of the Galaxy.
Los Angeles FC finished the regular season in the no.1 spot in the Western Conference with a 21-4-9 which equals 67 points, a total matched by Philadelphia Union. That’s still more points than any other team in the MLS, which won LAFC the 2022 Supporters’ Shield.
The team coached by Steve Cherundolo was, by far, the most dominant side in the conference, finishing the regular portion of the 2022 MLS season with 11 points more than the second-placed team (Austin FC). They collected an extra 17 points than their local city rivals.
The main reason behind LAFC’s impressive stats in 2022 is that their offense has been superb this year. With 66 goals scored in 34 games, they have the most productive attack in the conference, which is no surprise considering that they have some real legends on the roster.
There is nothing that Galaxy have that can match them, and despite being victorious in two of their three meetings this season they're likely to be comfortably beaten here.
Both teams to score
The fact that LA Galaxy did beat them twice this season, means they're more than capable of finding the net once again.
The first meeting between the two was a 2-1 win for Galaxy and the second was a 3-1 win in the US Open Cup, before LA FC finally got a win back with a 3-2 victory in July.
Plenty has changed since then, but the game is likely to be lively and exciting throughout. It might take a while to get there, but expect both teams to find the back of the net in regular time, and for LA FC's greater individual quality and strength in depth to pay dividends with a big win.
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