Steve Cherundolo reaffirmed his commitment to Los Angeles FC's upcoming MLS fixture with Sporting Kansas City, despite his team booking their place at the upcoming Club World Cup. 

LAFC clinched their place in the 32-team tournament that takes place across the United States later this month following a dramatic 2-1 win over Club America last week. 

Denis Bouanga's 115th-minute deflected shot was the difference, with the MLS outfit placed in Group D alongside Chelsea, Flamengo and Esperance de Tunis. 

The team will net the $9.55million participation bonus, but it also provides an opportunity to elevate their status in the 32-team competition alongside fellow MLS sides Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders. 

"As a club, I think it puts you above and beyond many, many other clubs in the MLS. I think it puts you in a different level," Cherundolo said. 

"It is also a help for the entire league; putting the league on the map at the Club World Cup with one more team."

LAFC take on Sporting Kansas this weekend in their penultimate game before the Club World Cup, and Cherundolo said full focus was on their league commitments. 

"I think in the last three minutes I have spoken more about the Club World Cup than I have the entire week," Cherundolo said in his pre-match press conference. 

"We have just been talking about Kansas City and the MLS. We have been good at keeping the message on focusing on the next task ahead. 

"That's what we are doing. We are prepared for Kansas City, and we are looking forward to it."

For Sporting Kansas, they come into the clash on the back of a four-game unbeaten run in the MLS, beating the Houston Dynamo 3-1 last time out. 

Dejean Joveljic scored twice in that victory to help interim head coach Kerry Zavagnin continue his impressive start to life at the helm. 

"From day one, he's been really an incredible worker," Zavagnin said of Joveljic. "He's calm. He's collective. He's deadly.

"He's persistent and despite the fact that he didn't score a few goals as the season kicked off for us, he has certainly found his rhythm now."

But Zavagnin urged his players to start quickly against the Club World Cup-bound side, having fallen behind in their recent MLS fixtures. 

"It's even more about LAFC than it is trying to play week to week and trying to play a complete game," Zavagnin added.

"As much as in the last couple of weeks we have gone down in the game, I wouldn't say outside of the Houston game we were slow out of the gate. 

"We found our footing in the second part of that first half, but if you do that against a quality opponent like LAFC, you could be punished early."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

LAFC – Denis Bouanga

Bouanga has been involved in at least one goal in five straight home matches in all competitions for LAFC (five goals, two assists).

This includes contributing to both goals (one goal, one assist) in LAFC's FIFA Club World Cup Play-In victory over Club America on Saturday.

Sporting Kansas – Dejan Joveljic

Joveljic, who scored two of Sporting Kansas' three goals in its win over Houston on Saturday, has scored six career goals against LAFC in all competitions.

Only former LA Galaxy striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic (nine) has scored more times against the Black and Gold in the competition. 

MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN

LAFC are unbeaten in nine straight meetings with Sporting Kansas across all competitions (W7 D2), including a 2-0 road win on March 22. The last meeting between the sides at BMO Stadium was a 3-1 win for the Black and Gold in the 2024 US Open Cup Final.

LAFC have also won 14 of their last 17 home matches in all competitions (D1 L2), including a 2-1 extra-time win over Club America in the FIFA Club World Cup Play-In match. They have also outscored opponents, 30-10, over this run.

Sporting Kansas' 3-1 win at Houston was just their third victory in their last 23 regular-season away matches (D3 L17). Sporting have not won consecutive road matches in league play since a three-match run in July and August 2021 that included a victory at LAFC.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

LAFC – 65.1%

Draw – 18.8%

Sporting Kansas – 16.1%