Wednesday’s second leg against LD Alajuelense cane be described like this for LAFC; lost the battle, but ultimately won the war.
Alajuelense went down swinging at Banc of California Stadium of Wednesday night, getting goals from Giancarlo Gonzalez and Aaron Suarez to cut LAFC’s aggregate lead from three goals to a single goal. Carlos Vela however nullified any thoughts of a miraculous comeback by Alajuelense with a late second half goal, and despite losing the second leg 2-1, won the series with a 4-2 aggregate score.
“We are happy to be around further in the competition, which was the objective and that’s where we are,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “We saw a similar game to the first Leg. The first half of both games were quite similar, we created chances but didn’t finish. The only difference was they scored a goal in this game in the first half. Other than that, it was a very similar game.”
The win advances LAFC to the quarterfinals, setting up an all-MLS matchup, albeit a USA-Canada matchup, with the Vancouver Whitecaps. The seires is set to begin as early as April 4, with the second let occurring no later than April 13.
Alajuelense got a break starting in the fourth minute, as Alexander Lopez took a shit inside the penalty area that deflected off defender Giorgio Chiellini and went over the end line, with the original call being a corner. Alajuelense however pleaded the ball went off Chiellini’s left hand, referee Adonai Escobedo soon got the call to go to video review and agreed that the ball did go off Chiellini’s left hand, thus awarding Alajuelense the penalty, which Gonzalez converted in the eighth minute to get Alajuenelse on the board and cut into LAFC’s aggregate lead.
LAFC managed to hold off Alajuelense the remainder of the first half, but the visitors really made things interesting in the 51st minute, as Johan Venegas was on a breakaway and fired a shot just outside the penalty area that was blocked, but Suarez, who had trailed the play, swooped in at just the right time to get to the ball, fire a one-timer that was stopped by keeper John McCarthy, but Suarez beat McCarthy to the ball and fired the rebound shot into the back net to get Alajuelense to within a goal of tying LAFC on aggregate. Making matters more concerning for LAFC, McCarthy was shaken up on the play, but ultimately was able to continue.
LAFC immediately went back on the attack. Vela had the team’s two best chances, the first was a volley that just missed the near post and the second chance was a header that was saved by keeper Leonel Moreira. Vela eventually restored a bit of a cushion for LAFC in the 83rd minute, as Jose Cifuentes played a ball that went off Yael Lopez, and went to the foot of Vela inside the penalty area, Vela touched into the six-yard box and chipped a ball past Moreira far post to make it a two-goal aggregate lead, and LAFC ultimately closed out the series.
“They scored early and it made the game a little more difficult for us,” LAFC midfielder Ilie Sanchez said. “They are a great team and have our respect because we already knew who they were before playing them tonight. We had studied but they showed that even with the bad result they had in the first game did not phase them. In the end, we are happy because we were able to advance.”
LAFC jumps back into MLS play with a juicy matchup, as they travel to Seattle for a nationally televised tilt with the Sounders on Saturday.
