The trade that sent Latif Blessing, one of the last remaining LAFC originals, to the New England Revolution in January, was one the player had been seeking well before it became final.
In an exclusive interview with The Striker — conducted a few weeks before the trade was made official — Blessing expressed frustration with the organization, co-president and general manager John Thorrington and current head coach Steve Cherundolo.
Last week, as the Striker was working on the story, LAFC responded to The Striker’s request to comment on Blessing’s situation, with a statement that read:
“We are all frustrated by the situation regarding Latif’s family and the process. Nothing is more important than family and to that end, LAFC has attempted to do everything possible to assist Latif and his family, including involving the MLSPA and MLS League Office in this matter. LAFC will continue to search for an amenable solution, including a possible move that would resolve the issue.
“Unfortunately, this is an issue dealing with immigration law, which LAFC does not have the ability to supersede in any way. We have enlisted the help of top immigration attorneys on multiple attempts to bring his wife into the U.S. and remain committed to helping Latif find a solution. Anyone suggesting that LAFC has been negligent, or has exercised anything other than its best efforts to assist Latif, is uninformed.”
While LAFC picked up Blessing’s contract option for 2023, Thorrington told The Striker in an interview Tuesday that Blessing had come to him at the end of the season asking to be moved.
Agent Leandro Scabin, who has been working with Blessing in recent months and participated in the Dec. 9 video interview, contended the club was not entertaining international transfer offers because they believed they’d receive the most value for Blessing in the form of allocation money from an MLS team.
Thorrington acknowledged that LAFC had been in talks with other clubs about the possibility of moving Blessing.
“Without going into specifics, there have been a number of options that we have looked at to try to help with the situation,” he said. “But until New England, none of them were suitable solutions to the problem.”
Thorrington also added, without elaborating on specifics, that he believes the move will help Blessing resolve the immigration issue that’s been gnawing at him — even as the club will need to replace a player who, while less utilized in 2022 than in prior seasons, is in Thorrington’s words, someone who “developed into a completely different player and really progressed during his time.”
Blessing's beginnings in L.A.
On Dec. 12, 2017, LAFC selected Blessing as the second overall pick in the 2017 MLS Expansion Draft, plucking him from Sporting Kansas City. At only 21 years of age, with an $85,000 base salary, obvious raw talent, and a green card in tow, the move provided exceptional value since Blessing would strain neither LAFC’s payroll nor allotment of international roster spots.
Blessing confirmed LAFC’s intelligent business with five goals and six assists across 30 appearances during the club’s inaugural 2018 season. He rotated between starting and substitute duties without any noticeable dip in quality, and at one point scored in three straight matches.
His sophomore season brought a chance to show more versatility, when injuries to Steven Beitashour and Lee Nguyen pushed Blessing into the starting lineup as an emergency right back and central midfielder. Blessing led the 2019 Supporters’ Shield winners in duels won and played a part in every regular season and playoff match, and still finished with six goals and seven assists despite the additional responsibilities.
“When I came to LA, Bob started playing me as a forward," Blessing explained, referring to then-head coach Bob Bradley. "Then he switched me to midfield, and then the following year he switched me to defense, but I adjusted. I played where he wanted me to play. As a player, you must be confident to play every position. I adjusted and I'm happy I played those positions because I played well and feel good about it.”
While Blessing did not get the league-wide recognition of teammates like Vela (MLS MVP), Eduard Atuesta (MLS Best XI), and Mark-Anthony Kaye (MLS All-Star), the club signed him to a multi-year contract during the middle of the 2019 season.
After that season, per Blessing’s account, the player married Sakyiamiah in Ghana during the offseason, but the couple could not travel to L.A. together as Blessing’s wife did not have a visa. Blessing initially asked the club around this time to begin the immigration process for Sakyiamah so she could join him in the United States.
The Striker reached out to the State Department for details on Sakyiamah’s case, but State Department policy holds that visa case records are confidential under Section 222(f) of the Immigration and Nationality Act, so information can only be provided to visa applicants. Certain information can be provided to U.S. sponsors, attorneys representing visa applicants, members of Congress, or other persons acting on behalf of and with the permission of applicants.
The Striker also reached out to MLSPA regarding Blessing’s immigration situation; a spokesperson for the organization declined to provide specifics on the case, only saying “the MLSPA is always available to support players on immigration matters."
Blessing says he reluctantly entered into his new contract in part because of verbal assurances the club would help secure his wife’s relocation. He claims he agreed to delay a pay raise beyond his 2019 salary of $93,750 (per the MLSPA’s annual online salary publication) in his breakout season, in part believing the club would come through.
His salary remained the same in 2020; however, that increased to $360,000 in 2021 and $400,000 in 2022, according to the MLSPA — as part of the multi-year contract signed in August 2019.
Despite the significant increase in salary over the past two seasons, Blessing contends, “I requested more money but they [LAFC] said no. They said they were going to use that money to bring my wife and pay for lawyers. If they hadn’t told me that, I would not have signed the contract.”
The arrival of the pandemic in March 2020 brought travel restrictions that kept Blessing from seeing his wife for an entire year. MLS temporarily suspended the regular season after two matches, then resumed play in July with the MLS is Back Tournament in Orlando and then a condensed regular season afterward.
Before the worldwide lockdown, LAFC eliminated Club Leon in the Round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions League in a two-legged home-and-away series. Blessing played the full 90 minutes in both matches, establishing himself as a starter in the club’s CCL debut.
During the MLS is Back Tournament, Blessing contributed a team lead-tying four assists and even scored in the round of 16 against the Seattle Sounders. And when the season resumed, Beitashour’s departures and injuries to Andy Najar and Tristan Blackmon often forced Blessing into emergency duty at right back. He finished 2020 playing more games as a defender (14) than as a midfielder (12).
As Blessing characterized it, “I sacrificed and did everything for this club.”
Scabin claims that Brazil’s Vasco da Gama made a formal offer to LAFC to take Blessing on a one-year loan that would have potentially given Blessing and his wife a chance to reunite, a deal that MLSSoccer.com reported on in an October 17, 2020 article. Scabin said that the club refused the move, and Blessing’s mood shifted following that decision. Scabin characterized him as “sad and not smiling” during that period.
Scabin claimed that by the end of the year, after Blessing scored a goal in a 3-1 CCL semifinal win over Club America, Thorrington pledged the club would strive for a satisfactory resolution in the offseason.
Changes, on and off the field
In his fourth season with the club, in 2021, Blessing returned to play in the midfield and made 30 league appearances with 25 starts, deployed as both a right wingback and a pressing attacking center midfielder.
Blessing’s dual ability to disrupt play and create transition offense was a perfect fit in Bradley’s high-pressing system. Although his minutes declined with the emergence of Ecuadorian international Jose Cifuentes in a similar role, he remained a source of consistency and stability during the worst of LAFC’s five seasons to date.
But that season, Blessing’s attacking numbers declined to two goals and three assists. And when Bradley was relieved of his duties at season’s end, Blessing’s future with the club instantly became uncertain.
Though Blessing was separated from his wife most of the season, he’d finally been able to reunite with Sakyiamah — not only in offseason visits to Ghana, leading to the couple welcoming their first child in June 2022 — but also going back in August 2021 on a rare one-match midseason leave from the club, which Thorrington confirmed was to allow Blessing to attend to a family situation.
After a 90-minute performance against Minnesota United the previous week, Blessing missed the home match against Sporting KC on Aug. 4, 2021. In the post-game conference, Bradley confirmed Blessing's absence was due to a "personal situation" and added he was uncertain if his player would be available for the next match in San Jose. Blessing eventually returned for the road game against the Earthquakes on Aug. 8, 2021, and played the final 30 minutes of the match.
In January 2022, Thorrington appointed Steve Cherundolo as LAFC’s new head coach, which would change Blessing’s role — as the club also signed veteran MLS midfielders Ilie Sanchez and Kellyn Acosta. With one of the deepest rosters in the league, Blessing was used as a substitute a career-high 14 times while making a career-low 16 regular season starts.
About a third of the way through the season, Blessing says he tried to have a direct conversation with Cherundolo about his role on the team and how he could have a bigger one.
A reserve player in seven of the first 11 games of the season, Blessing shared his thoughts on his limited minutes.
“If I’m not doing something good, tell me, so that I can improve it,” Blessing says he told Cherundolo.
According to Blessing, the coach responded that it wasn’t about performance so much as natural strengths and weaknesses and added that he would continue to rotate his midfield but would need Blessing to start at certain points in the season.
In 2021, Blessing was third on the team in minutes played, second on the team in duels won, and was the midfielder with the most interceptions on the team. Bradley’s high usage of the press benefitted Blessing due to his tenacity and high-energy style of play, and Kaye’s midseason trade plus Atuesta’s injuries led to Blessing being called upon more regularly.
In 2022 under Cherundolo’s more balanced approach and flexible tactics, Blessing’s specialized qualities were used more intermittently throughout the season. He finished 11th on the team in minutes played, 10th on the team in duels won, and registered his first scoreless season in MLS. Cherundolo favored Acosta and Ilie’s experience in the league, and Cifuentes turned in what was arguably an MLS Best XI-caliber season.
Blessing tried to accept Cherundolo’s answer but remained skeptical when he said Cherundolo continued to provide positive feedback without more minutes. Even during his starts, Blessing was becoming less of a full-90 player, with Cherundolo opting to remove him before the 65th minute on 10 occasions.
The frustration boiled over for Blessing, a continent apart when his child was born — frustration that manifested in a June 30 Instagram post that read, “I’m not happy here anymore.”
Latif Blessing just posted this on his Instagram ??? #LAFC pic.twitter.com/OvLEZvHChR
— Benjamin Virgen (@benjaminvirgen_) June 30, 2022
Cherundolo was asked about the post after training and didn’t necessarily shine a light on it.
“It’s a post,” said Cherundolo. “Nothing more, nothing less. I don’t think this needs to get any more attention than it’s already gotten.”
The post “was about my family issue and not so much about not getting playing time,” Blessing said. “But there’s nobody that would stay somewhere for five years without a family. Nobody.”
That’s not to say there weren’t low points on the field — a notable one coming Sept. 9 when LAFC played on the road at FC Dallas.
Former FC Dallas defender Ryan Hollingshead was sent off in the 13th minute, requiring Cherundolo to make a change and insert another right back for 10-man LAFC.
Cherundolo opted to swap in Franco Escobar for Blessing, leaving Vela, Cristian Arango, Denis Bouanga, Cifuentes and Ilie on the field in what was now a front five.
“I was so sad during that game,” Blessing recalled. “I am a legend of this club and have been here since the beginning. (I was thinking), ‘There’s no way you guys can treat me like this. You treat me as if I’m not part of this club. You treat me so bad.’”
Winning the Cup, bittersweetly
Until the 2022 season, Blessing had made an appearance in every LAFC playoff game. After clinching the Supporters’ Shield with the Black & Gold for the second time in his career against the Portland Timbers, Blessing did not play a single minute during the postseason.
Blessing says he initially resisted the urge to reach out to Thorrington, but then sought an explanation, and claimed he told his GM, “If you don't want me in this club, let me go. It’s that easy.”
Thorrington confirmed to The Striker that Blessing did indeed reach out to him about his frustrations with the club, to which he responded by saying “the club did everything they could” to help the player with his situation.
Blessing still celebrated the championship with teammates and fans as much as he could and said he genuinely still felt a part of it despite not seeing a minute of postseason action.
He has fond memories of the final, which was a roller coaster of emotions for everyone.
“When we were winning, everyone was happy,” recalled Blessing. “But after they [Philadelphia] scored the goal [putting them up 3-2 in extra time], I thought we were done and I walked towards the bench, crying.”
Perhaps the trauma of 2018 and 2019 playoff failures still loomed large, as well as the CCL final defeat in 2020 to UANL Tigres.
But, of course, Gareth Bale got the stoppage-time equalizer that sent the Banc of California Stadium crowd and the LAFC players, including Blessing, into ebullience — leading to a penalty kick sequence that will live forever in LAFC lore.
“When Bale scored, I cried,” Blessing remembers. “Tears were coming down. Once we went to penalty kicks, I told the guys that we were going to win, and I’m happy we did.”
Before the playoffs even started, Blessing was the self-proclaimed unofficial hype man for LAFC, providing vocal motivation for others. And after the trophy ceremony, Blessing’s teammates showed their gratitude for Blessing’s motivational words.
“After we won, everyone came to thank me [for motivating them],” said Blessing. “That made me happy because they know me, the real Latif.”
Despite his desire for a move, Blessing professed a strong connection to LAFC fans, some of whom have even invited him to their homes at times.
“I want to say I love them for the way they’ve supported me since day one,” he said in the Dec. 9 interview. “I love them. I’m always going to be there for them. In LA, I don’t have to buy anything because they treat me like a king. LA feels like home but I want to move forward. I already have everything with LAFC. I did my best. I’m done.”
Players who have left
LAFC, in its relatively short history as a club, has dealt with balancing the personal with the professional when considering some player personnel decisions.
With nine games remaining in the 2018 regular season and the team fighting for a playoff spot, defender Laurent Ciman was sold by LAFC for $500,000 to Dijon FCO from France’s Ligue 1. Ciman requested to leave due to family reasons and the club granted his wish, regardless if it meant the team was losing its captain right before the postseason.
In a letter to the LAFC fans, Ciman stated that “the club put his and his family’s best interests above their own, and that the organization allowed him the chance to return to Europe with a deal that provided long-term security for his family.”
In 2020, forward Adama Diomande was allowed to terminate his contract with LAFC “in order to best care for his loved ones.” Diomande was also dealing with other off-the-field issues, including entering the league’s Substance Abuse and Behavioral Health program in September 2019 for a month, and then stating he didn’t drink or do drugs upon his return, instead citing personal issues for his absence according to an MLSSoccer.com article. He ultimately cited family reasons as the motive for his departure.
Thorrington acknowledged Diomande’s exit at the time with a supporting statement, observing, “We believe that being an LAFC player is about more than just what happens on the field. Dio made us aware of a personal situation he is dealing with, and together we were able to work out a solution for both parties.”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vela did not participate in the MLS is Back Tournament due to a family situation, a decision the club supported. At the time, Bradley said the club had a mentality “to do what’s best for the players and their families.”
At the beginning of the 2022 season, LAFC transferred defender Kim Moon-Hwan to K-League club Jeonbuk Hyundai due to the player’s “desire to return closer to family.”
These exits didn’t escape Blessing’s notice.
“Dio and Ciman both said they couldn’t be here without family, and they wanted to go, so they let them go,” he said. “Even Moon said he wanted to go back because his family was not there and they let him go back.”’
But Thorrington, in acknowledging the complicated emotions around Blessing’s exit, also suggested the delicate balance that goes into making such decisions.
“It’s bittersweet, because I think, on the one hand, we as a club do pride ourselves on understanding the human as well as the player,” Thorrington remarked. “And for that reason, we are grateful that we found a resolution with New England. That helps to that end, but it is bitter on the other because Latif has meant a lot to this organization. We’ve had a lot of memories together.”
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