Carlos Vela was one of four goalscorers for LAFC on Friday night.
Another nationally televised Friday might matchup, but a different setting and a much better result for LAFC.
LAFC spent another Friday night under the lights for a second straight week. However this time, they got to be the home team, as they welcomed reigning champion Atlanta United to Banc of California Stadium, and while things didn’t start out well for the home side, LAFC eventually righted the ship with a key 12-minute stretch that saw them take control of the match before eventually holding on for a 4-3 win.
“In the end, it’s another win, but we went against a really good team, the champions of MLS,” Vela said of beating the reigning champs. “It was a hard game, we showed we’re on the way to being a real contender.”
Adama Diomande, Diego Rossi, Carlos Vela and Eduard Atuesta got the goals for LAFC, whose win on Friday night was important on many levels. Aside from bouncing back from last week’s loss to the Galaxy, the three points leave them 10 points clear of the East-leading Philadelphia Union and 12 points in front of the second-place Galaxy.
“After a hard loss and facing a hard team, you have to show the mentality and show how good you are,” Vela said. “You have to take that step up, and we did.”
Early in the match, it was Atlanta that flexed their muscles. Atlanta scored just two minutes in, as Julian Gressel sent a free kick into the penalty area, Franco Escobar headed a ball into the six-yard box, LAFC’s Walker Zimmerman cut off the cross, but the ball fell to Mo Adams, who took a quick touch before firing a ball past a crowd into the far post net to stake Atlanta to the lead.
However, LAFC came alive late in the first half. LAFC tied the match in the 33rd minute, as Mark Anthony-Kaye worked a one-two with Latiff Blessing, then played Diomande into the box and Diomande ripped a shot past Brad Guzan at the near post into the back net for the equalizer. LAFC then pulled ahead five minutes later. Rossi dribbled through the middle of the field, sprung Vela into the penalty area, Vela played a cross for Diomande, Escobar cut off the cross, but Rossi trailed the play, and ended up with a juicy sitter inside the 18 and Rossi one-timed a shot into the back net to put LAFC ahead.
LAFC however wasn’t done just yet. A minute later, LAFC was on the attack again, Vela dribbled inside Atlanta’s side of the field, juked out an Atlanta defender and made his way for the Atlanta penalty area. Vela tried to split two Atlanta defenders, one of those defenders, Escobar, made contact with Vela and he went to the ground. Referee Ismael Elfath awarded LAFC the penalty, much to Atlanta’s chagrin. Three minutes later, Vela buried the penalty to make it a two-goal lead. It became a three-goal lead in the 45th minute, as Kaye sent a long ball for Vela, and he cut inside before playing a ball for Diomande in the box, Diomande played a short cross to Atuesta, who brought the ball down with a perfectly soft touch, then fired a point-blank shot past Guzan.
“The tempo was higher,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said of his team’s torrid 12-minute stretch. “We stepped up, closed things down faster, played faster forward, got on the move, pushed up from the back quicker.”
Atlanta however did not go down without a fight. Atlanta kept the match open just before halftime, as Pity Martinez crossed into the penalty area, Gressel got to the cross, then played a ball to Martinez, who shot a sliding one-timer past Pablo Sisniega into the back net to pull a goal back for Atlanta heading into the break.
Things then really got interesting in the 51st minute. Justin Meram dribbled down the right side into the box, played a ball backwards to prevent it from going over the endline and the ball went off LAFC’s Eddie Segura and into the back net for an LAFC own goal, cutting the lead to just one goal. Atlanta kept up the pressure, and Martinez had a golden opportunity in the 62nd minute for an equalizer, as Gressel played a brilliant ball that found the feet of Martinez, who brought it down, but may have taken too long, which allowed Steve Beitashour to recover for some last-minute defending. Still, Martinez tried to turn Beitashour inside the penalty area, but his shot just missed the near post. Atlanta United had several more chances late in the half, but another Martinez chance missed high and an attempt by Emerson Hyndman inside the penalty area was blocked by Jordan Harvey.
“We made it crazy at times,” Bradley said. “There’s parts in there that we’re not too happy about, it’s a mix of all those things, but still a very good win.”
Of course it wasn’t just the goal scorers that gave LAFC the three points on Friday night. Lee Nguyen entered into the match in the 63rd minute, and his pace and pin-point passing from that point on was key for LAFC in terms of controlling possession for the remaining half-and-hour in the match, which in turn allowed LAFC to burn off some valuable time off the clock.
“I saw we needed to get some control back, regain possession,” Nguyen said. “I was able to come in there and try to help the guys out, keep the lead and and regain control.”
