LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo’s post-match quotes: “We depend a lot on Carlos Vela”

LAFC overpowered their city rivals LA Galaxy in El Tráfico in MLS as they beat them 4-2 at BMO Stadium in California. After the game, LAFC manager Steve Cherundolo spoke to the press about his side’s performance, as well as highlighting the emotional side of the game that fans and pundits don’t see.

“I still believe in our players and how we interpret this game, how we train the guys, how we prepare for matches. Contrary to all of you in the room and all the fans, I get to see the guys every day and that has a calming effect because I can see they understand, how they apply things in games. They’re human beings with a lot going on and sometimes things don’t go your way.”

Cherundolo was asked about the positives he can take away from such a statement win, to which he said that he enjoyed “the verticality in our game, deep runs, a deep threat: this opponent has always struggled with with a deep threat in the field and having a pass giver in Carlos [Vela] coming in... I think we’re we’re happy with this performance.

LAFC win gives the side a ‘much needed three points’

The manager called the win a “much needed three points” and said he “was happy with the response from the guys. All week they were very focused and I think it was clear from minute one who was winning this game tonight.”

“I think we were the better team with better chances. The statistics would speak for that as well. Obviously when it’s 2-2, it’s always a little different but we still felt very good about it, where we were in the game and that we always have the ability to score a goal and create enough chances to win.”

“Every game depends on the opponent, it depends on the offensive ideas and the plan”, Cherundolo said when asked about the attacking side of his team, “you need a pass giver and [Vela] is very good at coming in that pocket and then setting guys up which worked.”

“Every game will have its own solutions”, he continued, “and next game we’ll figure that Mario [González] is somebody who interprets danger a little higher than Carlos does, so it’s a different player, a different set of tools and we’ll use each player to his best ability to give this team the best opportunity to win.”

Vela is the ‘catalyst’ for LAFC

Cherundolo expanded on Carlos Vela’s impact in the team, saying that “his touches and his passes are very effective. We all know his quality and how he controls games. Sometimes he speeds the game up and sometimes he slows it down. He knows how to use space and we depend a lot on what he does. He’s the catalyst for the team in defence and attack for us. So yeah, another great game from Carlos for us.”

”We’ve been a little frustrated with the results of the past couple weeks”, Cherundolo admitted, given LAFC had lost three in a row prior to the game against LA Galaxy, “and again the guys just wanted to win and I think that’s what you saw. There’s only one way to fix things and that’s to speak about it, to show the players and work at the training camp. I think we’ve done a good job of addressing those [issues] and and correcting things, and now the next step is to gain competence and to build confidence and to keep growing on that. This victory tonight helps us greatly”, he concluded.