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He’s… not been super-successful with the carrying at all times. Musosvki’s ostensibly playing out of position because Arango likes to play through the middle and sometimes feed his teammates those through-balls, but more get on the ball deeper in the lineup and carry it forward to shoot. He likes to tests the back line with those runs, and he can also cut back with endline crosses (though they haven’t been a huge source of production for him this year). Though Musovski can play as a creator type, his strength is getting into dangerous positions and finishing slipped through-balls. Vela’s dribbling has been below his historical par so far this year, though you could safely assume it is more apt to bounce back than continue being bad (particularly as even more help arrives in the front line). Bale will be able to rotate in for any of the three as a substitute, and the positions for those guys are fluid anyway. My assumption is we’ll see Arango up top – though even he is the subject of rumors about a transfer away because of the embarrassment of riches LAFC has in the attacking lines – with Opoku on the left wing.
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Musovski didn’t travel and Rodriguez is questionable with a leg injury, having not appeared since June 26. Some combination of Cristian Arango, Danny Musovski, Brian Rodriguez, and Kwadwo Opoku has rotated through the other two spots for much of the year in the front three (there have been brief forays into two-striker formations – we’l get into that in a moment). It all starts up top for LA, where right winger Carlos Vela is a past MVP and Golden Boot winner (both in 2019, while injuries prevented him from being highly productive the past two years). It’s also a team that is elite at home (so the away advantage is really saying something) and oh yeah is also expected to see the debuts of Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini and Wales captain Gareth Bale – one of whom will be leading his team in the World Cup, but not the one you’d think! – very soon, almost certainly this evening. LAFC is one of very few teams that out-xGs opponents on the road (New York Red Bulls and your very own Nashville Soccer Club are the other two – while Philly and Colorado Rapids are dead even), and will not be intimidated, to say the least. SUSP.: D Diego Palacios (Yellow accumulation) OUT: D Julian Gaines (pelvis), F Danny Musovski (leg) OUT: D Robert Castellanos (ankle), Aníbal Godoy (thigh) Vegas odds: Nashville SC +140, draw +250, LAFC +180Įtc.: Rate, review, subscribe to the podcast, with great insight from Shoulder 2 Shoulder‘s Chris Saenz, and my return leg on their pod … Check me out talkin MLS more generally on Benched … The Playlist. Video Assistants: Allen Chapman, TJ Zablocki Assistants: Cory Richardson, Logan Brown. Tailgate: Lot 5 with the Backline Supporters Collective
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Listen: MyTV30/ (local), ESPN+ (out-of-market).Weather: 83✯, 26% chance of rain, 61% humidity, 8 m.p.h. Time, Location: Sunday, July 17, 7:38 p.m.