Raphael Durand
Dailysports's expert
The second-round clash of the Club World Cup between Los Angeles and Tunisian side Esperance will take place on Saturday at Geodis Park in Nashville. I’m offering a bet on the outcome of this encounter with solid odds.
Match preview
The Californians may have opened the tournament with a defeat to a more experienced Chelsea side, but they’ve already shown that their attacking potential shouldn’t be underestimated. Cherundolo’s team are traditionally sharp at home, having won 8 of their last 11 international matches on home soil — a testament to how much crowd support fuels their style of play. Even against the English, Los Angeles created chances and deserved at least a consolation goal on xG — though it didn’t happen, their motivation for game two will be sky-high.
Historically, Los Angeles play open football and rarely see games end goalless; in only three of their last twenty matches in the CONCACAF Champions League and Club World Cup have there been fewer than two goals scored. Given Esperance’s somewhat shaky defense, expect the Americans to try to seize control early and impose a high tempo. Especially with European-caliber players like Lloris and Bouanga, who can take matters into their own hands at decisive moments.
The Tunisian outfit are always gritty competitors on the African continent, but on the world stage they still lack class and fresh attacking ideas. The defeat to Flamengo marked Esperance’s third straight match without a goal, a clear sign of their struggles to create danger in the final third. Unless the North Africans fix this in Nashville, their chances of even snatching a draw will be slim.
That said, Esperance’s defense isn’t all that bad: they rarely concede more than two goals, and in 8 of their last 9 away games they failed to score in the first half. This shows the team tries to play it safe at the back, relying on fortune or set pieces. However, against a more aggressive Los Angeles side — and with a hostile crowd — it’ll be extremely tough to keep a clean sheet.
Probable lineups
- Los Angeles: Hugo Lloris – Ryan Hollingshead, Aaron Long, Eddie Segura, Sergi Palencia – Timothy Tillmann, Mark Delgado, Igor Jesus – Denis Bouanga, Jeremy Ebobisse, Nathan Ordaz
- Esperance: Bechir Ben Said – Mohamed Amine Ben Hamida, Mohamed Tougai, Yassine Meriah, Mohamed Ben Ali – Onuche Ogbelu, Khalil Genichi, Chihab Jebali, Youcef Belaili – Rodrigo Rodrigues Silva, Yan Medeiro
Match facts and head-to-head
- Los Angeles have won 8 of their last 11 home matches in the CONCACAF Champions League and Club World Cup
- Esperance have only won once in regulation time in seven Club World Cup matches
- The teams have never met before
Prediction
Backing the home side here looks like the logical choice: Los Angeles have the resources, home advantage, and motivation after losing to Chelsea. Esperance are unlikely to break down the American defense or dictate a high tempo. I expect a Los Angeles win at odds of 1.95.
