Photo courtesy of LAFC.
After months of waiting, Carlos Vela finally made his return to the LAFC starting 11 on Tuesday night.
LAFC is not dead yet.
The word was sent on Tuesday night at Banc of California Stadium. Playing against a Seattle Sounders team currently sitting in first place in the Western Conference, LAFC was not the least bit intimidated by the Sounders’ current state in the conference. Goals from Brian Rodriguez, Latiff Blessing and Cristian Arango, and the long-awaited return of Carlos Vela to the field, boosted LAFC to a convincing 3-0 win over the visiting Sounders.
Team played with great intensity, first half, especially, in terms of collective moment, closing
things down,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said. “Really reacting to loose balls, being on top of things, playing quickly. A few hiccups in the second half a little bit on set piece defending, but all in all it’s a great win.”
With the three points, LAFC (12-12-8, 44 points) finally carried themselves over the Western Conference playoff line, as they are tied with the Vancouver Whitecaps for the seventh spot, though LAFC currently gets to hold the final playoff spot based on goal differential, as its 50 goals scored this season are nine goals better than Vancouver, pending the results of Wednesday’s matches.
LAFC got on the board first in the 21st minute. Raheem Edwards received a ball from Blessing and broke down the Sounders defense with a through ball combined with a perfectly timed run from Rodriguez, who followed the ball into the penalty area, Frei left his line briefly and Rodriguez touched a ball past Frei into the back net. Blessing was on the receiving end of a cross for a goal just before halftime, as Kim Moon Hwan crossed a ball into the penalty area and Blessing tapped a ball past Frei into the upper back net to give LAFC a two-goal cushion just before halftime.
“When I score I’m happy but I’m still not happy,” Blessing said about the road ahead for LAFC. “We have to win two more games, and then we are ready for the playoffs. So the playoffs, that’s important. But I’m happy to score today; so we are ready for the playoffs.”
LAFC added to its lead in the 52nd minute. Blessing passed to Arango, and he wasted no time in continuing his personal hot streak, and he fired a one-time volley towards goal, Frei initially went to his right, but the ball instead went left, Frei stumbled and the ball took a bounce inside the six-yard box before going into the back net to triple the LAFC advantage. With the three points basically secured from that point on, the moment for Carlos Vela to make his return to the pitch finally came in the 77th minute, as he replaced Rodriguez and even assumed the captain’s armband from Jesus David Murillo.
“We definitely wanted him back on the pitch with us and we know his qualities and skills, and that’s a benefit for us,” Rodriguez said of having Vela back on the team.”
LAFC now braces for the game of the season next Tuesday night, as they welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps to Banc of California Stadium for a massive playoff-implication match.
