Only one team can make it to the Club World Cup in this straight shootout between Los Angeles FC and Club America for a chance to enter FIFA’s newly formatted tournament.
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Los Angeles FC take on Club America in a FIFA Club World Cup Play-In to enter the newly formatted tournament this summer. One of the two teams is set to benefit from Club Leon’s expulsion from the event after failing to meet the criteria on multi-club ownership. This is because their owners also own CF Pachuca, who are also in the tournament.
This meant that there is a CONCACAF slot that needs to be filled, and LAFC and Club America were chosen to compete for that spot.
Los Angeles were chosen to compete in the Play-In match as they were the runner-up to Club Leon in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup, whereas Club America were chosen as they are the top-ranked team in the FIFA Club World Cup confederations rankings.
The match is taking place on Sunday, June 1st, in the UK, and the winner is set to receive $9.55 million for their participation, with the chance to win $2 million per win or $1 million for a draw in the group phase. The winners will go into Group D, replacing Club Leon where they will face Esperance de Tunisie, Flamengo and Chelsea.
Los Angeles v Club America key information
• Date: Sunday, June 1
• Kick-off time: 3.30am GMT
• Venue: BMO Stadium, Los Angeles, California
• Referee: Wilton Sampaio
• VAR: TBC
• TV channels: DAZN
• Odds: LAFC (13/8) - DRAW (23/10) - AME (13/8)
Los Angeles FC team news
LAFC are coming into the game with an almost fully fit squad. One player that missed Los Angeles's last MLS match against CF Montreal was Timothy Tillman. The 26-year-old has a leg injury and is doubtful to play any part in the Play-In this weekend, having only missed one other game this season.
Odin Holm was injured back in April and missed five games in a row before the Montreal game. He was not included in that squad, but he could be involved this weekend if LAFC need the young Norwegian on loan from Celtic.
Los Angeles FC predicted lineup vs Club America (4-3-3):
Coach: Steven Cherundolo
Lloris; Smolyakov, Long, Segura, Palencia; Amaya, Delgado, Jesus; Bouanga, Ebobisse, Ordaz.
Club America team news
Chilean international Igor Lichnovsky remains a long-term absentee suffering from a knee injury at the start of last season. Then there is 21-year-old Patricio Salas, who has been missing for a large part of the season with an unspecified injury.
Apart from those two missing, Club America can choose from a fully fit squad who are ready to keep it at three teams from Liga MX in the Club World Cup.
Club America predicted lineup vs LAFC (5-3-2):
Coach: Andre Jardine
Malagon; Borja, Caceres, Juarez, Reyes, Alvarez; Fidalgo, Dos Santos, Sanchez; Martin, Zendejas.
Where to watch on TV or live stream?
This Play-In match, along with all of this year’s Club World Cup matches, will be shown exclusively live on DAZN. To make the tournament even easier to watch, DAZN has made every fixture free to air.
All you need to do is register for a non-subscription DAZN account, and you will have full access to watch Los Angeles vs Club America this weekend and then every other team, including one of these two, in the FIFA Club World Cup when it starts midway through June.
You can watch DAZN by downloading the app onto your smart TV, smartphone, tablet, or game console.
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Head-to-Head record
Los Angeles heads into the match having not lost in their last eight games. However, in that run, they have only managed three wins with two clean sheets. They have drawn their last two games 2-2 and will be hoping that they can get back to winning ways this weekend.
Club America comes into the game with a more indifferent form, winning only two of their last five, with one draw and two losses. They lost their most recent game 2-0 to Toluca, so they don’t have momentum to take with them into the Play-In.
The two teams have met this year, albeit in a friendly game in February. LAFC won 2-1 there, in their first meeting since 2022. Back then, Club America were the winners on penalties in the Leagues Cup Final after the match finished 0-0. The two teams also met in 2020, in the CONCACAF Champions League, with LAFC winning 3-1 there.
Odds for Los Angeles FC vs Club America
Bet365 have the match at a dead heat, not being able to choose between the teams. Both are down at 13/8 to win the game with a draw in 90 minutes at 23/10.
Odds correct at time of writing, subject to change