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As the season winds down, the excitement at the Banc is heating up! It's time for Episode 55 of Defenders of the Banc!

LAFC hosted in-state "rivals" San Jose, and things did NOT go well for the Smurfs. The Black and Gold emerged victorious, to the tune of a 4-0 home beatdown, behind two goals from the future MVP, Carlos Vela, including one that will certainly be up for Goal of the Year awards at the end of the season. 

It wasn't just Carlitos, however, as Diego Rossi continued his climb up the MLS scoring charts. Jordan Harvey and Tristan Blackmon both saved goals with clearances from the back line to preserve Tyler Miller's clean sheet. In a game full of "Wait, What?!" moments, two from the second half stole the show. The first was the return of Mohamed El-Munir, taking the pitch about 6 weeks after the horrific injury suffered at the hands of Zlatan. The Banc was electric when El-Mo checked in. And the redemption story is complete, as Josh Perez, after a series of near misses and heartbreaks, finally finds the back of the net for the first time in his MLS career. 

Also on this episode, joining us for an impromptu visit in the third chair is Black Army's own "Apple Juice", Vincent Ford. This Day in LAFC History recalls the first bit of hardware won by the Academy. Finally, the Supporters Shield update gets a whole lot shorter, as there seems to be just one other team (NYCFC) worth tracking. LAFC is poised for history this season, but before we can claim shields or titles, there is that little matter awaiting the Black and Gold on Sunday: the clash with Carson at the Banc.

A special thank you to our military servicemen and women, as LAFC held Military Appreciation Night during this game, and another shoutout to the incomparable Alina Beruff of the LAFC Foundation. We hope you enjoy this episode as much as we did putting it together for you, and we look forward to recapping our first W against Carson in just 4 days. Defend the Banc!