LAFC are making their first MLS Cup appearance in club history on Saturday. They share that commonality with their opponents, the Philadelphia Union. Both sides also have quality in all areas of the pitch.

LAFC embodies the city they represent. For the first time, LAFC exudes the glitz and glamour of Hollywood as opposed to their cross-town rivals Los Angeles Galaxy.

The Black and Gold have star power on their roster rarely seen in a MLS side. Carlos Vela has long been a standout star in MLS, and this summer, legends of the game joined him.

On June 13, former Juventus star Giorgio Chiellini joined LAFC after 17 years with the Italian giants. On June 27, he was joined by former Real Madrid and Tottenham star Gareth Bale.

These moves represented a clear desire to represent LA and the MLS to the fullest. It also represented a clear desire to win a major trophy.

The Black and Gold received a first-round bye in the MLS Cup playoffs but drew a matchup against the Galaxy in the Western Conference Semifinals. LAFC overcame their cross-town rivals with a 3-2 victory.

In the Western Conference Finals, they faced a bit of a Cinderella story. Austin FC, in its second year of existence, made its first Western Conference Final. However, LAFC dominated and cruised to a 3-0 victory.

How does LAFC matchup against a very strong Philadelphia Union side? Here are two reasons they have a clear edge to win the 2022 MLS Cup.

2 reasons LAFC have clear edge to win MLS Cup

2) Adaptability

With the star power LAFC possesses, one would think they would be a side that loves to dictate play. However, that's not really the case. They are masters at taking what they're given, and they thrive with that style of play.

For the most part, LAFC are comfortable on the counterattack. We've seen many times where they score a goal on the back of a high-pressing situation leading to a turnover and a quick transition up the pitch.

However, they aren't married to the counterattack. They can adapt their style of play based on what their opponent is giving them. Those adjustments are built into Steve Cherundolo's system.

These clubs played each other earlier in the season in Los Angeles. The match ended in a 2-2 draw, but it showed how LAFC may attempt to play Philadelphia on Saturday.

Philadelphia played a diamond in the midfield. To counteract this, LAFC attempted to overload the wide positions to pull this diamond structure apart.

While it didn't result in a win, LAFC found success with this strategy. They could come out of the gate trying to replicate this. And if Philadelphia is able to withstand the pressure, LAFC always has a few other tricks up their sleeves.

1) A lethal attack

Simply put, LAFC are lethal in attack. Philadelphia are also a quality attacking team. They led the league in goals after all. However, LAFC were second in the league in goals.

Furthermore, the Black and Gold held the fifth most goals from inside the penalty area. They also held the third most goals from outside the penalty area. It doesn't matter where they are on the pitch, they can pick out a scoring chance from anywhere.

In fact, there wasn't a team in the league with more on-target scoring chances than LAFC. They generated more attacking assists than all but one club in the league as well.

In their game against Philadelphia in May, LAFC created 22 shots. Only six were on target, but the club clearly had a nose for goal during that game. Their best chances came through corners and set pieces. Wouldn't you know, LAFC took the second most corner kicks of any team in MLS.

A major reason for their success in attack is their passing. While not among the league's best, it is far better than Philadelphia's. The Union held the second-worst passing percentage in the league with 75%. LAFC connected on their passes 81.1% of the time.

Philadelphia likes to employ the long ball as multiple forwards make a run toward goal. As a result, they have made more accurate long balls this season than LAFC. However, LAFC's long balls have been slightly more accurate, which gives them an edge if long ball opportunities present themselves.

All of this, combined with LAFC's lethal front three of Denis Bouanga, Cristian Arango, and Vela, give LAFC the advantage in attack. They have the quality to hold possession and pick out their chances, and either one of this trio can slot it home with ease.

However, they are one of the best clubs in the league at creating chances as a result of their high press creating a turnover. And when one of those three is on the receiving end of a perfect through ball, a goal is almost a certainty.