Managerial Storm! LAFC Fires Head Coach Mark Dossantos; Star-Studded Squad Including Son Heung-min Delivers Disappointing Results

Late Sunday local time, LAFC officially announced a coaching change: first-team head coach Mark Dossantos has been dismissed. His first season is drawing to a close, but the results have been regrettable.

General Manager John Sorensen released the news to the public, and the club has not yet determined a successor. Approximately nine months ago, Sorensen personally appointed Dossantos to replace Steve Cherundolo, who had led the team to the MLS Cup title.

Sorensen stated: "Mark has made tremendous contributions to the club over the years. We thank him for his dedication, focus, and everything he has done for LAFC."

Without a doubt, LAFC has fallen far short of expectations this season under Dossantos. Dossantos has coaching experience with the Vancouver Whitecaps and previously served as assistant coach under Cherundolo for four seasons. Despite a squad featuring stars such as Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga, the team currently sits sixth in the Western Conference with a league record of 11 wins, 9 losses, and 8 draws; they have won just 1 of their last 9 matches across all competitions.

Dossantos's substitution tactics and tactical approach have been widely criticized by fans, with supporters in the home stands who had always backed the team with all their might also booing him. After a 0-1 away loss to FC Dallas on Saturday local time, Sorensen finally made the call — since July, LAFC has recorded just 1 win, 4 losses, and 5 draws in MLS play.

Dossantos is the third head coach in LAFC's history. The club joined MLS as an expansion team in 2018. Under Bob Bradley, the team quickly established itself as a title contender at its home venue, now known as BMO Stadium, over four seasons; Cherundolo then led the team to the 2022 MLS Cup and 2024 U.S. Open Cup titles, departing last year after four successful seasons, stating at the time that he would return to Germany, though in July he agreed to take charge of the U.S. U23 national team, leading them through the 2028 Olympics.

From the outset, Dossantos's appointment was met with skepticism — Sorensen promoted a coach from within the club for the second consecutive time, disappointing fans who had expected a new tactical direction following Son Heung-min's high-profile arrival last year. However, Dossantos's MLS debut was quite impressive: in front of 75,673 spectators at the Los Angeles Memorial Stadium, he led the team to a 3-0 thrashing of defending champions Inter Miami. But since then, the team has struggled significantly in league play and was eliminated from the CONCACAF Champions Cup in May.

LAFC will not play their next match until October 10 local time, against Vancouver, with 6 regular season games remaining.