LAFC advances to first MLS Cup final

LAFC will compete in the MLS Cup for the first time when they take on the Philadelphia Union at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday.

Oct 31, 2022

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1. LAFC advances to MLS Cup final

For the very first time in their history, LAFC will compete in the MLS Cup final. The Sporting Tribune’s Chandrima Chatterjee has covered LAFC since their inaugural season and was at Banc of California Stadium to capture the scene.

“It has taken five seasons to reach this milestone, and the team has transformed quite a bit since their inaugural 2018 season, in both grandiose ways and subtle but relevant nuances. The team that made it to the Western Conference Final in their second year but lost to the eventual Cup-winning Seattle Sounders, has grown up.”

Make sure to follow Chandrima as she leads our coverage of the 2022 MLS Cup.

chandrima @chandrimatweets

Sweet soccer ⚽️ dreams. #MLSCup Week is here 😘

2. Rams lose to 49ers (again) but don’t lose Kupp

The 49ers swept the season series against the Rams on Sunday with a 31-14 win at SoFi Stadium for the fourth straight season. San Francisco has now won eight straight regular season games over the Rams and the last time the the Rams beat the 49ers in the regular season was in 2018.

The only silver lining for the 3-4 Rams was that Cooper Kupp may have avoided a serious knee injury at the end of the game. More from The Sporting Tribune:

“I’m doing alright right now. We’ll know more in the next few days,” Kupp said. “Right now, things are pointing towards dodging a bullet, so hopefully that’s the case moving forward here, but like I said, feel pretty good right now.”

3. Lakers capture first win of the season

The Lakers avoided their worst start in franchise history by claiming their first victory of the season over the Denver Nuggets, 121-110, Sunday night at Crypto.com Arena. The highlight of the night for the 1-5 Lakers was the play of Russell Westbrook off the bench as he had 18 points, 8 assists and 8 rebounds. More from The Sporting Tribune:

After the game, the Lakers celebrated their first win of the season and Darvin Ham’s first win of his head coaching career by showering their coach with water and Gatorade.

4. Reeling Clippers lose fourth straight game

The Clippers will be without Kawhi Leonard for the fifth time this season tonight as they look to avoid a fifth straight loss when they play the Houston Rockets. More from The Sporting Tribune:

Leonard’s return from a knee injury continues to be a slow process as the star Los Angeles Clippers forward missed his third consecutive game Sunday. Leonard was out the entire 2021-22 season after surgery for a torn right ACL.

5. What is the future of Kanye West’s high school team?

Kanye West’s high school basketball team faces an uncertain future after Donda Academy, the rapper’s private school, abruptly announced it was closing and then, hours later, reopening. The Sporting Tribune’s Wilko Martínez-Cachero has the latest on what’s next for Donda Academy:

Until recent events, Donda Academy’s roster for this year was expected to include five-star recruit and Kentucky commit Rob Dillingham, five-star guard AJ Johnson, and four-star wing JJ Taylor. Its coach was Dorell Wright, a 6-9 forward with a 12-year NBA career. At time of publication, none of the players had publicly commented on their futures.

An email to Wright for comment went unanswered. On Wednesday night, class of 2023 prospect Chuck Bailey was the first Donda Academy player to announce his departure from the school.

“No way I would’ve let my kids ever get involved there,” a source in the high school basketball scene told The Sporting Tribune. “This is a s—show.”

6. Golden Knights forging their own identity

The opening month to the Vegas Golden Knights’ 2022-23 season is almost complete and things couldn’t have gone much better for the anchor tenant of T-Mobile Arena. The Sporting Tribune’s Steve Carp has the latest from Las Vegas:

“Not only do the Knights lead the Pacific Division with 14 points following Friday’s 4-0 shutout of Anaheim, they are at the top in the Western Conference through nine games and are second to Boston for the best overall record in the NHL at 7-2 (the Bruins are 8-1).”

7. Odds and Ends presented by Circa Sports

Here are some odds at Circa Sports if you’re thinking about placing a wager today:

8. Ticket Time presented by TickPick

Here are the “get in” prices for tickets if you’re thinking about going to a game today:

Houston Rockets at LA Clippers: $12

9. On The Air presented by Pirnia Law

5 p.m. – Los Angeles Kings at St. Louis Blues – Bally Sports West

7:30 p.m. – Houston Rockets at LA Clippers – KTLA-TV

10. The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune

On Friday’s show, we talked to Rams linebacker Bobby Wagner on the challenges of repeating as Super Bowl champions and broke down the current state of the Lakers and Clippers with The Sporting Tribune’s Michael Duarte.

Listen to The Arash Markazi Show presented by The Sporting Tribune on The Mightier 1090 ESPN Radio in Southern California, 98.5 The Fan in Las Vegas and the Hawaii Sports Radio Network 95.1 FM and 760 AM in Hawaii. You can also listen to the show on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Play and Stitcher.

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That’s it for today. Talk to you all tomorrow!