Where to Get Accurate Seattle vs LAFC Stats: Your Complete Guide!

A few days ago, I wanted to check the details of the last game between the Seattle Sounders and Los Angeles FC. I thought I could just open a sports website and find what I needed, but that wasn’t the case at all. All the pages that came up were filled with ads, and clicking on any of them would pop up a subscription window. I just wanted to know who had more passes and who had better defense—why was it so hard?

I first went to several popular sports websites, but was disappointed. These websites only showed the most basic information: who won, how many goals were scored, and whether there were any corner kicks. The details I wanted to see, such as “how many times a player touched the ball in the danger zone” and “how many successful defenses there were,” were nowhere to be found.

What was even more frustrating was that the web pages were extremely slow on my phone, taking forever to load and crashing frequently. After an hour, I hadn’t found anything.

I didn’t give up and tried several different search methods: “Seattle vs. Los Angeles detailed data,” “MLS match in-depth statistics,” “pass comparison between the two teams.” The links looked professional, but when I clicked on them, it was the same old stuff: goals, shots, possession rate.

Some article titles were exaggerated, such as “Key Data Revealed,” but the content was only three lines of nonsense. The more I read, the more frustrated I became, and I almost gave up.

Then I suddenly thought: who knows these two teams best? Not the editors of big websites, but the local reporters who follow the teams every day. When they write match analyses, they often mention data that ordinary fans don’t see.

I started searching for local sports reporters in Seattle and Los Angeles and found several who frequently wrote tactical analyses. When I clicked on their articles, I found that they mentioned some data websites I didn’t recognize and explained the significance of these data.

One post-match commentary left a deep impression on me. The author not only wrote who won, but also analyzed:

• Which area of the field was most active for Los Angeles FC’s midfield?
• Why did Seattle’s fullbacks frequently lose their positions?
• Which player created the most scoring opportunities?

This content was not written randomly, but based on real data. The article also included links to the data sources, which was exactly what I was looking for.

Following the clues provided by the reporter, I opened the official website of MLS (Major League Soccer). At first glance, the page looked very old, the menu was messy, and it was very difficult to find what I was looking for.

But I persisted and clicked on the “Match Data” section, scrolling down layer by layer. Finally, I found their official data center. Although the interface was not very attractive, the data was very comprehensive.

On this official platform, I can find:

• The number of passes and pass success rate for each player
• The number of interceptions and clearances by defensive players
• Heat maps showing player activity on the field
• Expected goals (xG) and offensive threat values

This data is compiled by a professional team after the game, so it is highly accurate and error-free.

I especially like looking at “heat maps.” These maps use colors to show the range of activity of players on the field. For example, Seattle’s midfielders are concentrated in their own half, indicating that they are defending, while Los Angeles’ forwards are frequently appearing in the opponent’s penalty area, indicating that they are constantly attacking.

Without reading the text, you can understand how the game is being played just by looking at the colors.

I also looked up the “expected goals” metric. It doesn’t focus on how many shots a team takes, but rather the probability that each shot will result in a goal.

In that game, Seattle had 12 shots, while Los Angeles had only 8. However, Los Angeles’ xG was 1.8, while Seattle’s was only 0.6. This indicates that Los Angeles’ shots were closer to the goal and of higher quality. Although they scored fewer goals, they played better.

I later realized that popular sports websites only publish simple data to attract traffic. This is because most users only care about who won and who scored. Complex statistics require explanation, which ordinary readers don’t understand.

But if you really want to understand the game, you can’t just look at the surface numbers. You have to dig deeper into the details.

If you also want to check the real game data, remember:

1. Don’t just look at the homepage recommendations of big websites.
2. Look for post-match analyses written by local journalists; they know where to find good data.
3. Go directly to the MLS official website and search through the “Data” section.
4. Look at heat maps and xG; they provide more insight than the number of shots.
5. Compare multiple matches to assess a team’s true level.

Now, my process for checking data is as follows:

1. First, I read articles by local reporters to understand the key points.
2. I go to the MLS official website to find official data and confirm the details.
3. I combine heat maps and xG to determine which team played better.
4. Finally, I watch the game footage to verify the accuracy of the data.

This is the only way to get truly useful information.

When it comes to data research, there’s no shortcut. Spending time to find the right sources is more effective than randomly clicking on ten ad-filled websites. Although the MLS official website is user-unfriendly, the numbers there are accurate. Next time you want to understand a match, don’t just look at the score; take the time to analyze the underlying data, and you’ll discover a completely different story.