Cherundolo says LAFC 'are the clear underdogs' vs. Club America | OneFootball

The day before LAFC's playoff against Club America for a spot in the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and a club payday of at least $9.55 million, Black-and-Gold manager Steve Cherundolo embraced what he suggests is a matter-of-fact reality: that most people don't, and shouldn't, expect his LAFC side to triumph, even while playing at their home ground of BMO Stadium.

"Look, clearly the facts of both teams and the mechanisms of our leagues and how we build our rosters is very clear, it’s transparent," Cherundolo said in the official pre-match press conference on Friday. "And from that standpoint, we are the clear underdogs. And for us, we have everything to gain and I don’t want to say (not) anything to lose, because we’re very competitive and we don’t like to lose. But we have everything to gain tomorrow."

Oddsmakers don't entirely agree, with LAFC installed as of early Saturday morning Eastern Time as a very slight favorite, likely based mostly on that perceived home-field edge. But the point is noted.

Club America is one of the most historic and decorated teams on the continent and, indeed, in the Western Hemisphere. LAFC didn't even start playing until 2018, by which point Las Aguilas had already won their 12th of now 16 Liga MX titles.

Visitors in their own city?

According to Transfermarkt, LAFC's squad value is also only about 60% of that of Club America's. And while LAFC is one of the biggest clubs in MLS, the stature of Club America in cities like Los Angeles with large Mexican-American populations is such that Cherundolo openly admitted he wasn't sure whether Saturday's contest would feel like a home match at all.

"I don’t know," he said to a question asking if it was an advantage playing at BMO Stadium. "You’d have to ask me tomorrow around kickoff or at halftime or after the game. From the preparation standpoint, of course. There’s no travel, we can train at our facility, the players know this building inside and out. How the crowd looks tomorrow? I don’t know."

How much of this is by design to take pressure off his club, and how much of this is his true thoughts, only Cherundolo will know for sure.

That said, while MLS teams don't build their rosters as deeply as the big Liga MX clubs because they face more restrictions, there's also no denying MLS clubs can attract players with more elite big-game experience than even the Club Americas of the world, albeit at a more advanced age.

The Black-and-Gold have two World Cup winners within their ranks, goalkeeper Hugo Lloris and striker Olivier Giroud. Both were part of France's 2018 title-winning side and the 2022 squad that lost the final to Lionel Messi and Argentina.

Lloris has been the de facto starter since his arrival. Giroud has struggled in MLS, but he's still scored in both major domestic finals he has played for LAFC. Those are two pretty good weapons for a "clear underdog."