Opinion: LAFC and the elusive mentality of Champions

The Club World Cup has officially ended for LAFC.

It ended, for all practical purposes, a few days ago with the loss against Espérance de Tunis. But the motions of a “dead rubber” against Brazilian giants Flamengo still had to be played.

And with absolutely nothing on the line—and a Flamengo team resting its starters for the knockout rounds—LAFC showed up.

Flamengo’s reserves were still favorites against LAFC’s best XI.

The Flamengo match was a dreaded road game, the kind we’ve struggled with all season. Among 33,000 fans who were in the stadium, the Black and Gold supporters who made the trip numbered fewer than 500. In the Supporters Section, we had approximately 40–50 fans trying to compete in volume with 32,500 screaming for their Rubro-Negro.

You’d think that kind of setup would lead to a 0–4 blowout. But with nothing but pride at stake, LAFC took it to Flamengo—absorbing pressure, controlling the ball when possible, and launching dangerous counters.

They even forced Flamengo to bring on their starters in the second half to chase a goal for the home crowd. And after three substitutions, LAFC caught them napping on a quick restart. Bouanga slotted it past Rossi for a 1–0 lead in the 82nd minute.

Flamengo equalized two minutes later but couldn’t find a winner. LAFC walked away with a massive draw against the powerhouse of Brazilian futebol.

A stark contrast to the Espérance Tunis game—where LAFC conceded while asleep on a set piece.

This brings me to a deeper concern…

Why does LAFC fail in so many big games?

Blaming Steve Cherundolo, which I’ve done often—and unfairly at times, I’ll admit—is becoming too simplistic.

Ante Razov has been here since day one.

John Thorrington, too.

Larry Freedman, still here.

Do I like the job they’ve done?

Yes. I admire the vision Larry brings. JT has made smart moves—plus some misses. But perfection in roster-building is a myth, especially in MLS.

As an original LAFC supporter, this team has changed my life. We’ve always been competitive.

But is that enough in Los Angeles, The City of Champions?

Is winning championships that important?

Talk is cheap.

But after eight years, our culture feels stuck.

Right now, it’s a culture that chokes in big moments.

Semifinals? Derbies? Sure, we’ve won those. But we can’t finish the job.

• 2019: Record-breaking season. Collapsed vs. Seattle.
• 2020: Lost to Tigres in the CCL Final after eliminating three Liga MX teams (when MLS had <15% success vs. Liga MX).
• 2022: MLS Cup win—barely—against a low-payroll Philly team that also had a reputation for falling short. Took a Gareth Bale header in stoppage time to force penalties.
• 2023: Lost CCL Final to León. Knocked out of Leagues Cup by Monterrey. Lost MLS Final to Columbus. Lost Campeones Cup to Tigres.
• 2024: Another Leagues Cup Final loss to Columbus. We won the U.S. Open Cup—but it only had eight MLS teams. And we beat last-place SKC in the final at home.

In almost every final, the team looked unmotivated. Like they hadn’t gotten off the bus.

But in league play? We dominate.

So what gives?

Coming out flat in big games has been part of LAFC’s identity from Day 1.

It is fully embedded in our culture.

And every time we hear the word “final,” fans instinctively brace for another wasted opportunity.

Changing culture is hard. Some sports teams have tried for decades (see: Browns, Lions).

Breaking that mindset often requires major upheaval—sometimes even ownership changes.

Where are the titles?

AGAIN. Talk is cheap.

The last few transfer windows have been disjointed at best.

• An aging European target man like Giroud, in a counterpressing system?
• Makes no sense—unless the goal was to sell jerseys.

Keeping the third DP slot open for a “dream” player who never comes? It’s burned us two seasons in a row.

Letting stars like Diego Rossi, Chicho Arango, and Matty Bogusz leave—without replacements to chase trophies—does not scream ambition.

It lacks credibility.

The trophies we’ve won had a dash of luck. The ones we’ve lost? We deserved to lose.

Hope is not a plan. And our front office has relied on hope.

As the Thomas Müller rumors heat up, we ask again: Are we signing another semi-retired European star looking for a Hollywood sunset?

Please stop looking to Europe.

Look South.

Look at the Club World Cup.

Igor Jesus has been a revelation.

Find more like him—hungry, unknown, ready to make a name for themselves.

Giroud. Müller. Chiellini. Bale. Lloris.

These weren’t culture-builders. They were clearance-bin additions.

But the Seattle team that beat us in 2019? The Columbus team that beat us in 2023 and 2024?

Zero sunsetting Europeans.

Does a winning culture rely on jersey sales?

Of course not.

Championships are marketing.

And we need to build around young, hungry players writing their legacy—

Not those living off past glories.

This mindset is no longer acceptable.