Walking away winners from last year’s Cup Trafico, LA Galaxy thus bent the lead in overall wins toward Carson. The Galaxy, with seven wins, lead LAFC (six) by the odd triumph. This year’s game, to be played on Tuesday May 23rd at 10:30pm ET and broadcast LIVE on the CBS Sports Golazo Network, will have a winner come hell or high water.
If an historic first-ever penalty shootout is needed to separate the teams, so be it.
Much of the cast this year will likely be the same as last. Chicharito remains the Galaxy’s club captain. And he’s joined in attack by Dejan Joveljic, who earned his first-team debut in the early rounds of last year’s Open Cup before scoring the third goal of the 3-1 win over LAFC and ascending up the ranks of the league’s most promising young strikers.
Ricky Puig – the mercurial creator brought in from famed Spanish superclub FC Barcelona last year – could get his first taste of Open Cup Trafico action for the Galaxy next week in a game that will be played at LAFC’s downtown BMO Stadium (formerly Banc of California Stadium).
Memo Rodriguez – who scored twice in the Galaxy’s Round-of-32 win over the Sounders and won an Open Cup title in 2018 with Houston Dynamo – is also likely to feature in his first USOC Trafico.
Contrasting Fortunes for LA’s Finest
On the LAFC side, Vela and Kwadwo Opoku will be available for selection in attack. As will USMNT midfield enforcer Kellyn Acosta and last year’s lone USOC Trafico scorer Ryan Hollingshead (also once an Open Cup champion with FC Dallas in 2016).
