Photos courtesy of LAFC.
Whether it was on the field or in the locker room, LAFC was in a celebratory mood after claiming the Supporters Shield on Wednesday night.
It turned out to be a wonderful Wednesday night for LAFC.
It took a little longer than expected, but LAFC finally got to claim its first piece of silverware, and in two-season span in which pretty much everything has gone well for LAFC, it was only fitting that LAFC got to celebrate this latest honor in front of its home fans.
A first half penalty by Carlos Vela was followed up by second half goals from Diego Rossi and Eduard Atuesta, and in just its second season, LAFC claimed the 2019 Supporters Shield with a 3-1 win over the Houston Dynamo at Banc of California Stadium.
“They’ve been great the entire year,” LAFC midfielder Mark Anthony Kaye said of winning the Supporters Shield in front of their fans. “To be able to give them something to hold onto physically, it’s a goal we’ve wanted at the beginning of the year, and it was only a matter of time.”
The win snaps a five match winless streak for LAFC, who also become one of the fastest team in MLS history to win the Supporters Shield. Winning the Supporters Shield means LAFC will not be traveling during the 2019 MLS Cup playoffs and will also get a first-round bye.
“We worked really hard for this moment, we’re proud of the whole team,” Carlos Vela said. “I hope this is just the beginning of something really cool. We will work hard, not tomorrow, but starting Friday we will get back to training.”
Tied at one goal apiece heading into the 70th minute, LAFC finally pulled ahead in the 70th minute. Tristan Blackmon took a ball from Atuesta, sent a cross for the penalty area that was cut off by Houston’s Maynor Figueroa. The ball hit off the crossbar, but stayed in the penalty area and Diego Rossi was in the right place at the right time, as he headed a ball on the rebound into the open net to wrestle the lead back for the home team. LAFC then sealed the Shield in the 83rd minute, as they drew a foul at the left side just outside the penalty area, and Atuesta sent the free kick out of the reach of Joe Willis, beating him to the farthest part of the far post area to double the lead.
“Our ideas are there all the time,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said. “Making the right pass, getting the timing right, reacting the right way, finding ways when you lose the ball to win it back quickly. Those are not givens, those are things that you work on all the time, those are the little details and we never get ahead of ourselves because we still have perspective of what the best teams look like.”
LAFC claimed the lead in the 22nd minute, as Blackmon crossed into the penalty area for Brian Rodriguez, who was taken down while trying to get open for a shot attempt and referee Ramy Touchan signaled for the penalty spot. Vela as he has done all season, stepped up to the spot and buried the penalty for his 30th goal of the season. Houston however took advantage of LAFC mistakes to level the match in the 28th minute, as Adam Lunkvist sent a corner kick into the penalty area, Aljaz Struna shot a ball on goal, Mohamed El-Munir tried to clear the ball, but inadvertently sent a ball off keeper Tyler Miller, which then went into the back net for an LAFC own goal.
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