The current Major League Soccer attendance record is set to be shattered when LA Galaxy host rivals LAFC at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California on the 4th of July.
Last March, Charlotte FC broke the league's single-game attendance record in their first ever home game against LA Galaxy. Though LA went on to twin 1-0 thanks to a late goal from Efrain Alvarez's spectacular long-range effort, the Eastern Conference expansion team sealed their name in the books.
Galaxy defender Raheem Edwards, who was playing in that same game, has the chance to be a part of yet another record-breaking night in MLS at the Rose Bowl. Edwards, who's made 16 appearances this season and scored on goal, briefly summed up his thoughts heading into the rivalry game:
"It's going to be a spectacle," he claimed.
"It's a huge game," added LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta. "Personally I've never been to the Rose Bowl, so I'm just excited to be around it and take it all in. It's huge, it's making history. To be a part of that is going to be super cool."
The Galaxy are winless in their last five outings, while LAFC have picked up just two wins in their last five tries. The Gs are second to last in the Western Conference, as the Black and Gold enjoy second place, but form goes out the window in this rivarly.
The head coaches for both clubs had their say on the game, with LAFC's Steve Cherundolo poised to not let the occasion adhere to his side's performance and focus.
"It's our job to blend all that out, to be honest with you," said Cherundolo. "We are focused on what goes on on the field. If it ends up being an MLS attendance record, wonderful, that means we're moving in the right direction. It's great. Hopefully we can focus on our jobs to make sure the quality of the game is at a level that this game deserves. We're focused on that."
Galaxy boss Greg Vanney feels his side has been hard-done by recent injuries as their performances have improved in recent weeks.
"We probably feel like we should have picked up a few more points – four of those were on the road, one at home," Vanney stated. "It's not been the easiest stretch, just in terms of challenges to build momentum, but the guys have certainly shown resilience, we've shown some good moments of football inside of that."
"From that perspective, we found a solid foundation and now it's doing the little things inside of the game to win the game."
The record-breaking game is set to kick off at 10:30 PM EST and can be viewed on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
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This article was originally published on 90min as LA Galaxy and LAFC "making history" in Rose Bowl edition of El Trafico.