LA Galaxy take on noisy neighbours LAFC in the Western Conference semi-finals on Thursday night, and Javier ' Chicharito ' Hernandez has already issued a warning ahead of the latest instalment of El Trafico.
Since LAFC played their first MLS match in 2018, they have gone from strength to strength, winning two Supporters Shield's in four years. But the MLS Cup seems to slip away every time, and now LA Galaxy can disrupt their post-season run and get one over their bitter rivals.
On paper LAFC are stacked, with Gareth Bale and Giorgio Chiellini being brought in by the franchise to ensure they get over the final hurdle in post-season. But the experienced Chicharito is ready to do everything in his power to not let that happen, with the Mexican full of confidence heading into Thursday.
Despite LAFC's recent dominance, it's their Los Angeles rivals that prevail when referencing history, as they hold a 6-5-3 record when the pair have met in the MLS regular season and in the play-offs. LA Galaxy remain the most successful MLS franchise, but even given their superior head-to-head record, the tide has been turning in Los Angeles ever since LAFC was formed.
And it's built up to this moment, with Bale and Chiellini joining the likes of Carlos Vela and Cristian Arango to make up a star-studded squad. But although Chicharito has respectfully acknowledged their rivals by admitting it's the best MLS fixture, he's ready to cause an upset and ruin the party once more.
"For sure, one hundred percent," said Chicharito when asked if this was the biggest rivalry in MLS. "I don’t know, the players that have been in this organisation [LA Galaxy], the city and LA Galaxy is the biggest organisation here in MLS and to have a very direct rival it makes everything more interesting I think."
But the former Manchester United striker has claimed to leave nothing out on the field at Banc of California Stadium, and LAFC have been warned. "I am going to leave everything tomorrow [Thursday], less words and more job and show everyone who is the best team," said Chicharito following Wednesday’s practice session.
"We are going to give our best because it is an important match for us, the organisation and the fans. It is going to be a tough match, but have a lot of confidence in ourselves, in the team and in the way we have been improving."
LAFC stormed to the Supporters Shield once again this season, for the second time in their short MLS history. They recorded seven more wins than LA Galaxy, but as history has shown us, that means nothing in the post-season.
The new boys in LA hold the MLS record for points recorded in a single season, goals scored in a single season, and Vela holds the record for most goals scored by a single player in one campaign. But there's one thing missing from the list, an MLS Cup.
LA Galaxy have plenty of those, five to be exact, although they haven't managed to win one since 2014 - when LAFC were initially formed. The battle in Los Angeles on Thursday is one of the most important in recent years, and perhaps the biggest ever based on where both clubs are at this moment in time.
But the pressure is all on LAFC, as they're the favourites to win the competition. They're on home soil and all the focus is on their big stars to justify the status they arrived with. Vela fit like a glove when arriving in Los Angeles, and Chiellini has fit in well, but Bale hasn't hit the ground running as everyone expected.
The Welshman has just two goals to his name since leaving Real Madrid and heading to LAFC, and has seen his minutes limited too. Bale hasn't scored since the middle of August, but will be licking his lips for a post-season run out with the World Cup just a month away.
Big name signings have historically worked better at LA Galaxy, with David Beckham, Steven Gerrard, Robbie Keane, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and now Chicharito all meeting lofty expectations. And it's the latter who's looking to bring MLS success back to one of the league stalwarts, and unhinge rivals LAFC in the process.
It's expected to be a classic in Los Angeles, and this fixture very rarely disappoints, as 58 goals have been scored in the 14 MLS meetings so far. Chicharito has scored three times against LAFC, but his Mexican counterpart Vela dominates the fixture, as he's found the net a record ten times in this rivalry.
