Luck was on LAFC’s side on Tuesday night.
Playing on just two days rest, and with a trip up north to face the San Jose Earthquakes in four days’ time looking around the corner, LAFC needed to muster some resolve and also catch some breaks in its match against last-place DC United. Two huge first-half saves from keeper Maxime Crepeau, a goal from Kwadao Opoku and a shot going off the framework were all LAFC needed to run its winning streak to seven straight matches following the 1-0 result at Banc of California Stadium.
“Today was not our best performance, but we still worked hard and got the result,” Opoku said.
Having to withstand a spirited challenge from DC United for the first 59 minutes, LAFC’s luck began to change in the 60th minute when DC United’s Steve Birnbaum attempted a slide tackle hoping to dispossess Kellyn Acosta, but Birnbaum, already sitting on a yellow card, got his right foot on Acosta’s right foot, causing Acosta to go down in pain, and referee Ramy Touchan came over and gave Birnbaum his second yellow of the night, thus forcing DC United to play with 10 men the remainder of the match.
The moment then finally came for LAFC in the 67th minute. It started when Jesus David Murillo got his right foot on a Chris Durkin pass, the ball found the feet of Carlos Vela, who immediately led an LAFC break dribbling down the middle lane. Vela, who had Cristian Arango on his right and Opoku on his left, played Arango forward, which drew out keeper David Ochoa, Arango played a ball to Opoku, who finished the break with a left-footed shot into the open net. DC United had one great chance at an equalizer, as Taxi Fountas fired a right-footed volley from about 25 yards out, the shot bounced on the turf a few times and actually got past keeper Maxime Crepeau, but did not get past the framework, as the ball hit off the left post and went back into play.
“It will be nights like this and I’m happy our boys picked up the win but it was certainly not our best night,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “Tonight, the end product of our football in the final third was a bit sloppy, at times lethargic, which we need to improve on.”
Despite the massive gap in the standings between the two teams, you would’ve thought DC United was the team chasing the Supporters Shield by the way they played in the first half. DC United had the best chances in the first 45 minutes, the first coming just six minutes in, as Jackson Hopkins shot a left-footed volley for the far post, but Crepeau dove to his right and got his hands on the shot, parrying the ball over the endline. Crepeau’s reflexes were required again in the 26th minute as Martin Rodriguez sent a free kick long into the penalty area, Birnbaum jumped and headed a ball for the same spot at the left corner that Hopkins, tried to go, but again Crepeau came up big, as he got his right hand on the shot, sending the ball high and a rebound header by Victor Palsson went over the framework.
“They worked hard, even at 10 men they were running and trying to press so credit to them,” Crepeau said of DC United’s effort. “They put in a good effort physically to try to really press us and regain some balls in tight areas. For us, it was about doing what we do and move the ball fast on the ground.”
