In the midst of a busy stretch, Bob Bradley is once again having to dig deep into his roster to keep legs fresh. Adama Diomande and Lee Nguyen got the start on Saturday night against the Vancouver Whitecaps, while players such as Latif Blessing, Jordan Harvey and Steven Beitashour started the match on the bench.
So far, the results are paying dividends, especially on Saturday night against Vancouver. Braces from Diomande and Carlos Vela were key for LAFC, as they avenged an earlier-season loss to the Whitecaps in Vancouver back in April with a 6-1 win at Banc of California Stadium.
The win rebuilds LAFC’s lead over the Galaxy in the Western Conference to nine points, a welcome development, as LFAC will be playing in the quarterfinals of the US Open Cup against Portland at home before its next league match on July 12 at Houston. The three points earned on Saturday night also represented a milestone for LAFC, as they became the fastest team in MLS’ post-shootout era to reach 100 points.
Vancouver was gifted the lead just three minutes in. Andy Rose sent a long ball forward, keeper Pablo Sisniega came off his line to try to get the ball, but Yordy Reyna beat him to the ball, raced past Dejan Jakovic and sent the shot into the open net far post to stake the Whitecaps to the lead.
LAFC however soon got their say. LAFC leveled the match in the 35th minute, as Vela sent a corner kick into the penalty area, the ball deflected off Rose into the far post net for the tying goal. The corner initially was ruled a goal by Adama Diomande, but replays confirmed that the ball did in fact hit off Rose before Diomande could touch the ball.
Diomande got the credit for LAFC’s go-ahead goal in the 42nd minute, and you didn’t need replays to confirm that. The scenario was the same, as Vela sent a corner kick into the box, and it was right on the mark, as Diomande cleanly head the ball past keeper Maxime Crepeau into the back net.
LAFC blew the game wide open in the second half. LAFC bagged a third goal just a minute into the second half, as Mark Anthony Kaye took a ball from Tristan Blackmon, sprinted for the penalty area, made a cutting move inside before firing a shot just outside the penalty area that sailed past Crepeau, deflected off the crossbar and into the back net.
Then it was Vela’s turn to put his stamp on the match. Eduard Atuesta sprung Vela with a long ball in the 55th minute, Vela dribbled into the penalty one on one with Rose, made a cutting move inside to give himself a sightline, then fired a shot that deflected off Doneil Henry and went into the near post net. Vela made it a brace in the 70th minute, as LAFC worked the ball around the Vancouver penalty area, Kaye played Mohamed E-Munir further into the penalty area, El-Munir passed the ball back to Kaye, who took the shot inside the penalty area, Crepeau made the save, but the ball stayed inside the six-yard box and Vela headed the rebound chance past Crepeau and Rose into the back net. Rossi capped off the second-half surge for LAFC in the 72nd minute, and it began as Vela again dribbled into the penalty area, played a ball back to Atuesta, who wisely chose to dribble towards the end line as opposed to shooting the first time, Atuesta eventually took the shot, Crepeau parried the ball off the near post, but left a rebound chance just outside the six, which Rossi took, and the shot hit off the crossbar, hit the grass and back into play, LAFC immediately pleaded to referee Allen Chapman that the ball crossed the goal line, and Chapman eventually agreed, and video review was not even needed to draw a conclusion.
