Saturday is slated to be filled with chaos across Major League Soccer as Decision Day 2025 sees all 30 teams in action with much still on the line. For LAFC, a road match against the Colorado Rapids gives them the chance to finish as high as second in the Western Conference.

“There’s a lot of teams that are just difficult to beat and Colorado is one of them,” said head coach Steve Cherundolo on Thursday. “They’re proactive, and they create a lot of problems for teams who are disconnected. When the game gets a little disconnected, that’s when Colorado becomes very dangerous.”

With Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min officially returning to the lineup following the conclusion of international duty, the Black and Gold will be at full strength with a critical task ahead. Second-place San Diego FC sits just one point ahead in the standings, while fourth-place Minnesota looms just a point behind Los Angeles.

“You can’t replace DPs and quality in this league,” said Cherundolo regarding his star duo. “Those two players are extremely important for us.”

LAFC can finish anywhere from 2-4 on the table, leaving the mission for their regular-season finale clear: find a way to win. Both Mathieu Choinière and Nathan Ordaz join Bouanga and Son in their returns to the squad, Ordaz even inking a contract extension with the club that was announced on Thursday morning.

“Nathan embodies the qualities we value most in our young players at LAFC,” said Co-President & General Manager John Thorrington. “His journey reflects the pathway we’ve worked so hard to build, and the belief we have in our young talent.”

“I’m super happy to get to resign and stay in LA,” said Ordaz. “To play with this big club…it’s definitely one of the biggest clubs, if not the biggest in MLS, it’s a lot of pressure. It’s not an opportunity that everybody gets to have so I’m super grateful for it.”

The 21-year-old is a product of the LAFC academy who has made his way through the club’s development system, eventually signing a contract with the first team in 2022 at just 18 years old. So far this season, he has netted both seven goals and assists through 34 appearances.

Kelvin Kuo-Imagn Images

His new contract will keep him with Los Angeles through 2029, with an option for 2030. After spending time with El Salvador’s national team, Ordaz senses LAFC’s motivation to finish the year strong.

“I think everybody is still motivated and excited for the playoffs,” he said. “Everybody that’s resigning, we know each other’s movements, and it’s definitely going to help in the future because there’s no learning curve.”

Los Angeles picked up both a victory and a loss during the international window, seeing a six-game winning streak come to an end in a 1-0 defeat against Austin last Sunday. It was the squad’s first scoreless game since July 25, with the absence of Son and Bouanga clearly proving to hurt on the pitch.

Both will be needed at their best as Colorado prepares for Decision Day with its postseason life on the line. Currently one spot behind ninth-place San Jose for the second of two play-in spots, the two clubs are even at 40 points.

Eighth-place FC Dallas holds just a one-point edge over both Colorado and San Jose, leaving the door open wide enough for the Rapids to try and sneak in. LAFC is 2-1-0 against the home side this season, eliminating them in the Concacaf Champions Cup in March and taking them down 3-0 at BMO Stadium in July.

Bouanga heads into Sunday’s clash two goals behind Lionel Messi as the two continue their race to finish as the league’s top scorer in 2025. Even if he cannot catch Messi, the 30-year-old’s next goal will mark his 100th across all competitions in his LAFC career.

Regardless of where the Black and Gold end up in the standings following Sunday’s chaos, they know that the playoffs will be a battle. One game remains to make a statement on the road before returning home as the most important time of year officially begins.

Where: Dick’s Sporting Goods Park – Commerce City, CO

When: Saturday, October 18 | Kickoff at 6:00 p.m. PT

TV: MLS Season Pass on Apple TV

Radio: 710 AM ESPN, ESPN LA App, KFWB 980 AM La Mera Mera (Spanish), and 1230 AM KYPA (Korean)