Seattle Sounders to face Egypt's Al Ahly in Round Two of Club World Cup
The stage is set and the opponent is finally confirmed for Seattle Sounders FC at the 2022 FIFA Club World Cup. who beat New Zealand's Auckland City 3-0 in Wednesday's Round One opener in Tangier, Morocco.
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LAFC transfer striker Arango to Liga MX's Pachuca: LAFC have transferred striker Cristian Arango to Liga MX side Pachuca, announcing Wednesday they’ve bid farewell to a key piece of their 2022 MLS Cup/Supporters’ Shield double-winning side. The Colombian international spent one-and-a-half seasons with LAFC, joining in August 2021 from Millonarios FC. He was remarkably productive on a non-Designated Player deal, tallying 35 goals and six assists in 58 games across all competitions. The 27-year-old reportedly had interest in moving abroad this winter and, stretching back to last summer, was linked with leaving LAFC.
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Well, Chicho Arango’s last major moment for LAFC happened to be a big one. His stoppage-time winner against the Galaxy in the Western Conference Semifinals (and his subsequent celebration) will hold a place in LAFC lore for a long time. In part because of the weight of the moment and what it led to, and in part because it’s super weird that it’s his last significant moment for LAFC.
There are understandable reasons for his departure. Apparently, he wanted a bigger contract and that would have likely meant a DP deal. Combine that with a reported $6 million transfer fee and you can squint and see why LAFC were willing to send him to Pachuca.
But, also, like, c’mon. LAFC have an open DP spot and Arango had 30 goals and seven assists in 43 starts. He finished eighth in non-penalty goals per-96 last season. He’s 27 years old. And that’s just the surface-level stuff. Here’s a list of starters with a higher expected goal plus expected assists per game output last season: Lucho Acosta (Cincy), Romell Quioto (Montréal) and Hany Mukhtar (Nashville). That’s the whole list. That…uh…that kind of sounds like a DP-caliber player, huh? The fact they had him on a TAM deal for any amount of time is another hilarious representation of how stacked last year’s LAFC team was.
What makes it especially curious is the fact LAFC are primed for a deep CCL run. They didn’t get the kind of offers everyone expected for guys like star midfielder Jose Cifuentes and left back Diego Palacios, and most European windows are officially closed. They added free agent center back Aaron Long. This team probably needs a little depth in midfield but could genuinely be even better than last year’s group if everyone stays around and healthy. They certainly have the firepower to win CCL.
They also would have had the kind of continuity you need to hit the ground running and take on CCL opponents in the middle of their season. So why make this move now when you could have done the same thing in the summer, post-CCL? I mean, I’m a huge Mahala Opoku fan and I think he’s probably good enough to lead the line on a CCL run, especially with Carlos Vela and Denis Bouanga on either side of him. But as of now, I’d rather have Arango.
I say all that to get to the big question in all of this: What do they have planned and just how terrifying is it?
There’s that old, not quite historically accurate, story about the enemy army prepared to attack a city defended by a renowned general and his men. The problem for the renowned general and his men is that they know they’re totally outnumbered. The general tells his men to get everyone in the city, including themselves, out of sight. Once the city appears empty, the general goes to a spot he knows the enemy army can see, sits down, and starts playing his flute. The enemy army, so convinced by the strangeness of the action, thoroughly believes they will be walking directly into an ingenious trap if they attack. They freak out and leave without taking the city.
I am the enemy army right now. I am freaking out because LAFC are sitting there playing the flute and all I can think about is what they have planned next. And, instead of a fake trap, they very likely have something genuinely terrifying on the way. The fact they were so willing to move on from Arango has me wondering what they envision as an upgrade. It just feels like the kind of move you don’t make unless you’re executing a plan you feel extreme confidence in.
"We knew coming out of a successful 2022, we would need to make a major move, and likely a difficult decision ahead of roster compliance," LAFC co-president & general manager John Thorrington said in a release. "We evaluated all possibilities and this transfer provides the needed resources and flexibility to continue our ambition of winning trophies."
Let me translate that: "We didn’t want to give Arango a DP deal because we think we can do better."
WHO? HOW? WHEN?
I have no idea what the answers are. I do know that LAFC have absurd amounts of proof of concept at this point. It would be wild for me to not give them the benefit of the doubt. Someone they see as an improvement is on the way. If they’re right, we can go ahead and call the Western Conference a wrap.
Kamara “actively looking elsewhere”: Kei Kamara is looking for a permanent home. The 38-year-old forward is still holding out hope CF Montréal is that place, even after taking to social media to request a trade last month.
Montréal, Toronto & Vancouver learn draw results for 2023 Canadian Championship: The 2023 Canadian Championship bracket was announced via Tuesday evening’s live draw. Toronto and Vancouver (reigning title-holder) received a bye into the quarterfinals, while Montréal enter in the preliminary round. The tournament, which sends its winner to the expanded 2024 Concacaf Champions League, follows a knockout format and starts in mid-April. The annual “Battle of the North” victor is crowned in early June.
- Ari Liljenwall wrote about Houston Dynamo FC’s "huge expectations" for Héctor Herrera in 2023.
- Raul Ruidíaz says the Club World Cup is the "biggest challenge" yet for the Seattle Sounders.
- Here’s how to watch and stream Seattle vs. Al Ahly.
- Check out the latest MLS preseason roundup.
Good luck out there. Find the right soundtrack.
