Club America vs. LAFC prediction, projected lineups, how to watch | OneFootball

Club America and LAFC will clash Saturday night in Southern California for the right to secure the final open berth to the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, to be played in the U.S. in June and July.

The playoff comes after the 2023 Concacaf Champions League winner Club Leon was forced to vacate their berth because of shared ownership groups with another entrant, 2024 Concacaf club champion CF Pachuca.

Club America was the top-ranked team from Concacaf in FIFA's club world rankings at the time of the decision, while LAFC was the runner-up of the 2023 tournament.

Here's everything you need to know about the match that could bring the winning club at least $9.55 million extra for reaching the 32-team event.

How to watch Club America vs. LAFC

Time: Saturday, May 31, 10:30 pm ET

Venue: BMO Stadium, Los Angeles

Tickets: Click here

TV/streaming: TBS, DAZN.com, DAZN app in English | UniMas, TUDN in Spanish

Club America vs. LAFC projected lineups

Both teams have had the week to prepare, and shouldn't be dealing with any load management concerns. Rising to the occasion emotionally could be a different matter.

Club America will be only six days removed from losing the 2025 Liga MX Clausura final to Toluca, dropping Sunday's second leg 2-0 after being held to a 0-0 draw in the opening leg at home.

After playing a back four most of the season, Andre Jardin opted for a back five in the away legs of both the Clausura semifinals and finals. It's unclear whether Jardin would view this one-off playoff similarly, and also whether veteran striker Henry Martin will be available after he exited with thigh discomfort in Leg 2 of that Liga MX final defeat.

Meanwhile, LAFC is arguably the healthiest it's been all season, and the lineup has been pretty stable. The biggest question is whether manager Steve Cherundolo plays the in-form striker in Nathan Ordaz, or takes a gamble on former Arsenal, Chelsea and AC Milan star Olivier Giroud.

Giroud's MLS form has been disappointing, with only two goals in his 19 total MLS appearances. But he has already scored in two major finals for LAFC, their 2024 U.S. Open Cup final victory and 2024 Leagues Cup final defeat.

Club America projected lineup (5-3-2, right to left)

Luis Angel Malagon (GK) - Kevin Alvarez, Israel Reyes, Ramon Juarez, Sebastian Caceres, Cristian Borja - Erick Sanchez, Jonathan dos Santos, Alvaro Fidalgo - Alejandro Zendejas, Henry Martin

LAFC projected lineup (4-3-3, right to left)

Hugo Lloris (GK) - Sergi Palencia, Aaron Long, Eddie Segura, Ryan Hollingshead - Frankie Amaya, Igor, Mark Delgado - Cengiz Under, Nathan Ordaz, Denis Bouanga

Club America vs. LAFC prediction

The away form should be a legitimate concern for America, even if they are likely to be very well supported in the largest Mexican community outside the nation's borders. And LAFC will provide a more vertical threat than Las Aguilas are used to in Liga MX, which could be a dangerous combination with a post-Clausura final hangover.

That said, the Mexican side is the far deeper squad, and LAFC has rarely put together a consistent 90 minutes this season. It's the kind of scenario that might set up for a second-half rally somewhat similar to what we saw in the UEFA Europa Conference League final on Wednesday. However, in the case of the offensively-challenged Aguilas, they may need the help of extra time to pull away.