Recent losses, outside criticism and a sense that the team’s identity has strayed from its original path have left LAFC in an uncomfortable position.

As the team prepares to host the Seattle Sounders on Sunday at BMO Stadium before a mandatory break for the World Cup, coach Marc Dos Santos shared his thoughts on the team’s adversity and goals for the future.

The coach said one of his main self-criticisms involved straying from the attacking identity he intended to build at LAFC since taking over as head coach.

“Outside criticism when the team loses isn’t that important to me because I’ve learned in my life that if you’re going to build a life based on what outsiders think of you, you’re going to be very unhappy,” Dos Santos said. “But in self-reflection, I’ll tell you one thing: I’m hard on myself. I believe we were building something with a clear identity, and after the series against Cruz Azul — in the Concacaf Champions League quarterfinals — I thought about switching to a three-man backline to defend more. I went in a more defensive direction, and I don’t want to be like that.”

The coach said the tactical change was the wrong move for LAFC.

“It was a mistake on my part, and it doesn’t reflect LAFC’s identity — it’s not what I want to build here,” Dos Santos said. “I want to make sure that this summer I thoroughly analyze what we need to change, and I have to stay true to LAFC’s identity.”

The comments come at a delicate time for LAFC, which has let potential MLS wins slip away despite showing competitive moments recently against St. Louis City SC and Nashville SC.

LAFC had hoped to once again be one of the dominant teams in the Western Conference, but offensive inconsistencies and tactical adjustments have led to questions about the coaching staff. The Los Angeles side sits in seventh place in the West with 21 points, eight points behind the leader, the Vancouver Whitecaps.

Dos Santos dismissed the idea that the problem is solely related to the tactical scheme and insisted that the most important change involves reclaiming aggressive principles with and without the ball.

“When we have the ball, we have to show the character to go after it — we can’t be afraid,” he said. “And when we don’t have the ball, we can’t just sit back. Look at one of the best teams in the world, Paris Saint-Germain F.C. Look at how they run without the ball. That’s soccer today.”

Amid this soccer overhaul, one of the most closely watched names remains Denis Bouanga. The Gabonese forward hasn’t made the same dominant influence as in previous seasons, though Dos Santos insisted that his relationship with the player remains solid and transparent.

“Denis knows what I want. I’ve always been very honest with him,” the coach said. “Last year we played a lot of games in a 3-5-2, defending a lot with Denis and Son [Heung-min,] but the club and I want to move to a different model. We’re all on the same page.”

Son Heung-min will temporarily leave LAFC after the match against Seattle to join South Korea’s training camp ahead of the World Cup, which will be played in the United States, Mexico and Canada.

The Asian forward said his full focus remains on this weekend’s match.

“I’m not thinking about that yet,” Son said of the World Cup. “The most important match is on Sunday. I just want to make sure we get a great result before heading to the World Cup and arrive in good physical condition.”

Son expects to be tested when South Korea travels to Mexico to play some of its World Cup matches.

“It’s not easy in Mexico, honestly,” he explained. “The altitude and conditions are different, but you have to love those big challenges. We’re really excited.”

As Son prepares to leave, LAFC faces a second-half schedule filled with intense competition. Following the match against Seattle, the club will return from the break to play against the rival Galaxy on July 17.

For Dos Santos, these challenges define the demands of managing LAFC.

“LAFC is a club that wants to win and whose fans want to see it win,” Dos Santos said. “Here, there’s always the responsibility to perform at a [high level]. If you don’t want to be in big games, you don’t coach at LAFC.”

The coach said external criticism isn’t influencing his plans.

“The pressure we feel is the pressure we put on ourselves,” Dos Santos said. “Pressure is when a doctor calls you and tells you you have a problem, or when your child has a problem. Soccer is a sport. You can win or lose. What you can control is improving the team during the week.”

Dos Santos said the World Cup break will serve as a key opportunity for internal analysis before redefining the club’s soccer direction. With the season barely halfway through, the coach said that regaining the team’s identity will be just as important as earning points when MLS returns in the summer.

This article first appeared in Spanish via L.A. Times en Español.

The New York Knicks took a commanding 3-0 lead in the Eastern Conference Finals on Saturday as the franchise eyes its first NBA Finals berth since 1999.

Jalen Brunson scored 30 points to lead New York to a 121-108 win over Cleveland, while Mikal Bridges added 22 as the Knicks never trailed in Game 3.

New York is the seventh team in NBA history to win at least 10 straight during a postseason run. The last team to do it was the Boston Celtics, who also went on a 10-game run on their way to the 2024 title.

All but one of the Knicks’ wins have been by double digits, with an average margin of victory of 22.5 points.

Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell finished with 23 points in 38 minutes, while teammate James Harden added 21. Cleveland shot 12 of 41 from 3-point range and 12 of 19 from the foul line.

Cleveland rallied and tied it at 50-all on a jumper by Harden before the Knicks countered with a 10-1 run. They went into halftime with a 60-54 advantage.

THUNDER ERASE 15-POINT DEFICIT TO TAKE SERIES LEAD OVER SPURS AS VICTOR WEMBANYAMA’S 26 POINTS FALL SHORT

Music superstar Taylor Swift was courtside for Game 3 of the Eastern Conference finals on Saturday night alongside fiancé and Ohio native Travis Kelce.

Swift and Kelce, who recently signed a three-year, $54 million contract with the Kansas City Chiefs, took their seats in Rocket Arena shortly before the opening tip.

With the Cavs trailing 91-82 at the end of the third quarter, Kelce and Swift were shown on the arena’s giant scoreboard. Fans cheered wildly as Kelce showed off his team cap and wine-and-gold shirt.

Game 4 is set for Monday night at Rocket Arena in Cleveland. The series will return to Madison Square Garden for Game 5 on Wednesday, if necessary.

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Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, the San Antonio Spurs will host the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder in Game 4 on Sunday night. Oklahoma City enters the matchup with a 2-1 series lead.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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UCLA earned a berth into the Women’s College World Series, winning a best-of-three super regional over Central Florida with a 14-4 victory Saturday night at Easton Stadium. The Bruins also set an NCAA record for WCWS appearances, reaching the double-elimination tournament in Oklahoma City 34 times.

Facing elimination, UCF threw five pitchers at the Bruins’ lineup. None could silence UCLA’s bats.

While Megan Grant had another quiet night, drawing three walks, her presence in the box was enough to drive in a run. The right fielder worked a full count in the third inning. With the bases loaded, she hit a sacrifice fly to deep right field. Only feet separated her from setting a program career home run record. The mark still belongs to Stacey Nuveman (90 home runs).

A batter later, shortstop Aleena Garcia hit an RBI single that bounced off the top of shortstop Aubrey Evans’ glove to give UCLA the lead. Catcher Alexis Ramirez added a run an inning later when she homered to left.

Meanwhile UCF starter Tori Payne consistently worked from behind the count and walked five batters. The right-hander’s pitch count topped 92 by the fifth inning. UCF coach Cindy Ball-Malone pulled Payne when she loaded the bases and gave up a run by hitting a batter.

Reliever Lena Elkins couldn’t work out of the jam. Ramirez doubled down the left-field line, scoring two. The Bruins left two on base.

While UCLA didn’t fall behind after tying the score in the third inning, UCF challenged Bruins’ ace Taylor Tinsley and the defense more than on Friday.

In the first, Tinsley left one bad pitch too far into the strike zone, and Evans sent the ball flying over the center-field wall. Tinsley then took a deep breath and continued. She struck out the next batter, and got a quick groundout to third base. When Tinsley ended the inning on a swinging strikeout, she ripped off her mask and screamed as her teammates poured out the dugout to give her high fives.

Tinsley held the Knights hitless until the fourth inning when she gave up three singles. Second baseman Kaniya Bragg saved the Bruins from giving up more runs when she trapped Sierra Humphreys’ single in the clay before it could reach the grass.

While Tinsley had struggled to find the zone that inning, she stranded the runners, striking out one batter and eliciting a groundout to short.

Her control problems reappeared in the fifth, though she wasn’t the only one facing challenges. With two runners on the base, Ramirez tried to throw out a runner stealing second, but the ball slipped away from Bragg and trickled into the outfield grass. One runner scored and another advanced to third, later scoring on a foul out to left field.

Despite having two outs, Tinsley gave up two singles and an equal number of walks, loading the bases and giving up another run. Central Florida’s Coco Jaimes flied out to end the inning, but the Knights had scored three to cut UCLA’s lead to 6-4.

UCF couldn’t enjoy the beginnings of a comeback for long. Garcia smashed a three-run homer to right in the sixth inning. Woolery tacked on an extra run on an RBI double in the seventh and Garcia sealed it with another three-run homer to nearly the same spot.

Garcia’s seven RBIs are the most in a single-game in UCLA history. Bri Alejandre hit the final home run of the night, extending the Bruins’ single-season NCAA record home run total to 200. With no one left to pitch, Ball-Malone put Payne back on the mound and she finished the game for the Knights.

Tinsley finished the game with 11 strikeouts, and gave up four earned runs, three walks and nine hits, marking her 24th complete game of the season and 32nd victory.

UCLA will play Alabama in the first game of the WCWS on Thursday.