7 p.m.: Ventura County FC faces LAFC 2 in MLS Next Pro final

Two second teams will meet on Friday night with a championship berth in the MLS Next Pro on the line. Ventura County FC and LAFC 2 will face off in the Western Conference final at Dignity Health Sports Park.

The match is scheduled for 7 p.m. Admission is free for fans attending the event. The contest marks the third meeting between the two sides this season. LAFC took the first matchup on May 16 with a 3-2 victory. Ventura County FC responded on July 18 with a 2-0 shutout. The teams split the final regular season point in a 1-1 draw on Sept. 5.

Ventura County FC secured a third place finish in the Western Conference with 53 points. LAFC 2 entered the playoffs from sixth place with 45 points. The LAFC squad advanced to this final by defeating the Houston Dynamo 2 and Austin FC 2.

Riley Delgado, a defender for Ventura County FC, described the upcoming game as a major event for the group. "I think it's going to be a crazy game," Delgado said. "Our mentality is that we're going to win. It's a win or go home. A big one for us. Not many of us have played LAFC in a Western Conference final, so it's gonna be a big one."

LAFC 2 forward Tommy Mihalić leads the team with nine goals. Coach Matt Taylor acknowledged the aggressive nature of the opponent. "They're a good team. We know that they're aggressive, they got some good pieces in there," Taylor said. "There's going to be some emotion, there's an emotional part of the game and I think that's the message to the guys is how we balance that, playing within ourselves, making sure that we're staying the course, at the same time understanding that it is a derby and it is a Western Conference final."

Taylor noted that his squad features a young roster. In the previous round, eight of the 11 players on the field came through the Galaxy Academy, including Delgado. Taylor stated that the team has worked to build chemistry as the roster changed throughout the summer. "I think it's been years in the making," Taylor said. "From one to year two, some good learning moments and then I think we learn the lessons from organizing the group. You got to get the pieces right, with the academy players coming up and with the players that are coming from outside the club."

The coach emphasized the need to balance the intensity of the derby with a focused performance. "There is going to be a lot more that goes into the game, but that can't be a distraction. That's just got to be more motivation for us to stay locked in, in the right area. It's a quality opponent and they're going to be organized and intense."