So far this season, LAFC has shown it can earn results in a variety of ways.
LAFC has shown they can shut down teams defensively, as they have had two shutout wins this year. They’ve also shown they can grind out matches, as they had to do against Portland back on March 6 to earn a point in that match, and they’ve also shown they can rally from behind, as they did against the Vancouver Whitecaps back on March 20.
On Saturday, against Orlando City at Exploria Stadium, LAFC also showed it can rely solely on its offense to carry them when it has to. Brian Rodriguez and Jesus David Murillo found the back net for LAFC in the first half, though Alexandre Pato and Joao Moutinho did so for Orlando. LAFC however won the game in the second half, as goals from Ilie Sanchez Kwado Opoku allowed LAFC to once again leave Central Florida with a win, this time a 4-2 win over Orlando.
“This team finds a way to win,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “We worked physically hard, were were tactically disciplined, and they believed in the match play.”
With the win, LAFC remains undefeated to start the season heading into its massive El Trafico match next week against the LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park. Saturday’s match also featured a lineup that LAFC fans had long waited to see, as Carlos Vela and Cristian Arango were finally both featured in the starting 11.
After an entertaining first half, LAFC decided it was time to go for the win in the second half. LAFC regained the lead in the 51st minute, as Cristian Arango initially had the ball outside the penalty area, was dispossessed by Ricardo Schlegel, but Sanchez regained possession for LAFC, then fired a 23-yard rocket that beat keeper Pedro Gallese near post to put LAFC back in front. LAFC managed to keep Orlando at bay all throughout the second half, then locked the three points in stoppage time, as LAFC was on a counter attack, Jose Cifuentes crossed for Murillo in the penalty area, Moutinho cut off the cross, but the ball remained inside the six-yard box and Kowado Opoku, who had trailed behind Murillo, swooped in and buried the point-blank shot to seal the the win for LAFC.
“The goal is all credit to Chicho (Arango),” Sanchez said. “he fought for the ball, he tried to sneak a shot in between two to three defenders, and I took advantage of that hard work.”
Both teams went back and forth in a scintillating first 45 minutes. LAFC got things going in the 24th minute, as Vela sprung Arango on the left side into the penalty area. Arango got the ball, then crossed into the six-yard box and Rodriguez buried the sliding shot near post to give LAFC the lead. Orlando however had a response in the 36th minute, and it started when Mauricio Pereyra floated a ball into the penalty area, Ercan Kara headed a ball to the penalty spot area and Pato winded up and buried the left-footed shot past keeper Maxime Crepeau to level the match.
The fireworks continued as the first half wound down. Two minutes after Pato’s equalizer, LAFC took advantage of a blunder in front of Orlando’s goal to retake the lead. A Vela cross into the penalty area was headed back by Kara, LAFC’s Latiff Blessing headed a ball back into the penalty area towards Arango, Orlando’s Ruan beat Arango to the ball, as he headed a ball towards Gallese, but Gallese went forward, then raced back to try to get to the ball, but Jesus David Murillo beat him to the ball with a sliding shot into the open net and just like that, LAFC was back in the lead. Orlando however had another equalizer in them, and it came just before stoppage time, as Pereyra played a ball to Junior Urso, who was marked heavily by Ilie Sanchez, but Urso managed to pass back to Pereyra, who then played a ball into the penalty area to an unmarked Moutinho, who had snuck in behind the play. Moutinho, LAFC’s first ever Superdraft Pick in 2018, once again came back to haunt his old team, as he took a quick touch before he fired a shot that beat Crepeau far post to even the match one more time before the halftime whistle blew.
