"It's a scandal": Marc Dos Santos is fed up with the congested schedule

For Dos Santos, the issue isn’t simply the number of games. It’s the lack of flexibility.

He pointed to how other leagues handle similar situations. In South America, he noted, clubs like Palmeiras and Flamengo often see domestic schedules adjusted when they make deep continental runs. In Europe, Paris Saint-Germain regularly benefits from moved fixtures during Champions League play.

MLS, in his view, hasn’t followed that model.

“They don’t want us in the final,” he said, half-joking, half-serious. “MLS has to help MLS teams.”

That line cuts deeper than it sounds. LAFC are one of the league’s flagship clubs, built to compete not just domestically, but internationally. Their current run in the Champions Cup reflects that. They’re unbeaten in the tournament this year (5-0-2) and now sit one result away from reaching the final.

But that push has come at a cost.

Lineups have been rotated heavily. Results in league play have fluctuated. A 6-0 win over Orlando showed their ceiling. Losses to Portland, with a heavily rotated squad, and San Jose exposed the trade-offs. Even in wins, like the 1-0 result at Minnesota, the margins have been thin.

It’s not just physical fatigue. It’s structural strain.

“And people think it's like a PlayStation,” Dos Santos said. “When I play PlayStation, my players run all the time. They’re never tired. But life is not like that.”

That’s the core of his argument.

Squad rotation can only go so far before it disrupts rhythm. Key players miss matches. Partnerships change. Tactical consistency fades. For a team trying to balance two competitions, those details add up quickly.

The upcoming stretch only reinforces his point.

After Saturday’s road match against San Diego, LAFC travel to Mexico for the decisive second leg against Toluca — played at nearly 9,000 feet above sea level. Three days later, they’re back in MLS action. Then another midweek trip. Then another road game.

The first true break doesn’t come until May 24, when they host Seattle in their first full week of rest since the international break.

They’ve managed it well enough to stay alive in both competitions. They’ve shown resilience, especially at home. And they’ve put themselves in position to reach a Champions Cup final.

But as the schedule tightens further, the margin for error shrinks.