Have LAFC cured growing pains from signings of Bale & Co.?

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LAFC signed center-back Giorgio Chiellini from the top of the Supporters' Shield table.

The statement of intent was that there would be no complacency in Los Angeles with the addition of the Italian legend. It was just the beginning.

One of the most ambitious transfer windows in league history was created by LAFC general manager John THORNTON. The Targeted Allocation Money contract was signed by Bale after he left Real Madrid. After Brian Rodriguez left to join Club America, Denis Bouanga and Cristian Tello signed Designated Player deals.

It was obvious that the upside was present. Adding that type of attacking talent gave LAFC unprecedented depth. The other side had to be considered as well. There's no reason to mess with a good thing.

You have to take that into account. All the variables have to be considered. What impact does it have within the group?

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Los Angeles was one game past the halfway point of the season when Chiellini played in his first game. LAFC held a two point lead over Austin FC in the Shield and Western Conference races. LAFC had the potential to break the single-season points record of the New England Revolution if they added Bale and Chiellini.

It looked like that could happen. In his first four appearances, Bale scored two times from the bench and LAFC won seven straight. They were on top of their game. It did not last.

After taking just three points from a five match stretch, the points record pursuit fell out of focus and LAFC were locked in a tight race with the Philadelphia Union.

"Obviously, people are looking at it in a negative way, talking about our drop-off, this, that and the other." The MLS seasons are like that. It is difficult to maintain a high level all season. Sometimes that isn't how it goes.

I can understand why people might have connected those dots.

The idea that there was some kind of letdown despite the fact that LAFC hung on to win the Supporters' Shield shows just how high expectations were. While the pace slowed late in the season, they don't think that is a reflection of any sort of disruption caused by the moving pieces.

It's a learning curve when you're new to the game. You get to learn from each other. They were very eager when they joined the team. They gave us something else that we didn't have. They've been great.

They have had a lot of experience. They are here to help out the team and put their mark on it. In trainings, I have seen that. In the locker room, I've seen that.

In the Western Conference semifinal last week against the LAGalaxy, the talent was on full display. He was slipped in for LAFC's opening goal, made a smart back-post run to score his second and helped create the game-winner in the final seconds of the game when he volleyed Acosta's corner kick. The third is an icon at a stadium that has few peers in the league in terms of the kind of enthusiastic atmosphere is can foster.

"I'm sure everyone could hear it through the TV," he said. It was crazy. There was goals, there was chippiness, and there was a lot to like about the game. We certainly felt it.

It was one of the most fun and exciting games I've played. It was just a bit crazy.

LAFC has a chance to reach the MLS Cup final for the first time. The Western Conference final will be played on Sunday at 3 p.m. You can watch it on ABC. Bale was in the starting lineup for the first time in his career in Austin's 4-1 win over the club on August 26.

Bale wasn't available for the LA game because of an injury, which was his only other start since then.

We thought we could get up to speed and healthy with him, and I want to highlight that. He helped us win a lot of games when he was playing. It was unfortunate that he had a couple of hiccups that prevented him from playing a larger role that we hope will now shift and he will be able to help us. He works incredibly hard, he is a top professional and when he is healthy and able to contribute, we have seen what he can do in this league.

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