LAFC and Philadelphia Union fans face travel chaos due to lack of parking at stadium for MLS Cup Finals

ANYONE planning on going to the MLS Cup Finals should plan ahead.

As atmospheric as it is, there is one downside to playing in the shadow of the LA Memorial Coliseum — the parking lot.

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And such will be the case for football fans who attend the 3pm ET MLS Cup Finals at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, November 5 at 3pm ET, per ESPN.

This is because USC will be hosting next door at the Coliseum Cal at 10:30pm ET.

With LAFC only confirmed to host the Finals after beating Austin FC 3-0 in Sunday’s Western Conference Finals, the 60,000 spectators who come to Expo Park for their weekly dose of football have priority over the comparatively short-term addition of about 22,000 for the cup final.

In a statement, LAFC Co-President and CBO Larry Freedman said, “In one of the greatest esports cities in the world, it’s not surprising that we find ourselves in a unique and challenging situation with same-day events at Expo Park.”

The team’s statement also advises fans to be aware of Metro bus and train services, LAFC Park and Ride Shuttles departing from Dodger Stadium, and ridesharing apps to get to Banc of California Stadium.

The finals on Saturday will be a duel between the top dogs of the Eastern and Western Conference.

Philadelphia Union finished the season 19-10-5, two points ahead of CF Montreal in second place.

A 1-0 win over FC Cincinnati and a 3-1 win over New York City were enough to reach the first cup final.

Meanwhile, LAFC finished the season just a point ahead of Austin, whom they defeated along with LA Galaxy (3-2) to advance to their first final.

Players to keep an eye on Union include midfielder Dániel Gazdag, who finished second in the league with 22 goals, and defender Kai Wagner, who finished third in the league with fifteen assists.

Among the home side’s players on form are forward Cristian Arango, who has already scored twice this postseason, and fellow forward Carlos Vela, with two assists.

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