Photo courtesy of LAFC.
Lee Nguyen made his debut for LAFC on Saturday afternoon.
By Ivan Yeo
LAFC’s second match at Banc of California Stadium featured much more different circumstances for the home team.
LAFC hosted FC Dallas for an afternoon tilt in the sort of weather that Angelinos are more accustomed to. The weather featured mostly clear skies with temperatures reaching into the 90s, making for quite a challenge for both teams. For LAFC, there was also another challenge, as it was its first match without forward Marco Urena, who is out for an extended time due to facial surgery.
Despite the loss, LAFC’s attack looked to be as fluid as its last seven matches. LAFC got on the board early in the half and kept the pressure on Dallas more most of the match. While Maxi Urruti’s equalizer early in the second half proved to dampen the mood a little bit, LAFC still saw its unbeaten streak reach four matches following its 1-1 draw, its first draw in franchise history.
“It’s easy to say that the problem was that we didn’t score goals. We had a lot of chances to
finish the game,” LAFC’s Carlos Vela said. “When you miss, you are in trouble and there is a problem, there is only one goal.”
LAFC got on the board nine minutes in, as Diego Rossi took a ball from Carlos Vela, dribbled through the FC Dallas defense, played a ball to Beitashour in the penalty area and Beitashour slotted a shot past keeper Jimmy Maurer far post to give LAFC the lead early.
Diego’s pass was perfectly in stride, and then having a good touch and either you’ve played across or you finish; one or the other,” Beitashoru said. “I was fortunate that my touch led to goal and I had the whole side to aim at and I was able to finish.”
LAFC had several chances to add to its lead following the goal. In the 26th minute, Jordan Harvey took a ball from Laurent Ciman, Harvey sent a ball for a sprinting Latif Blessing from the left side. Blessing crossed into six-yard box for Vela, but his touch missed near post. Five minutes later, Vela’s corner was headed out, but Harvey headed a ball back into the box to Mark-Anthony Kaye, who fired a laser on target, but Maurer parried the ball over the endline. Shots inside the box by Kaye and Rossi early in the second half went over the framework.
FC Dallas also had some chances themselves in the first half, with its best chance coming in the 18th minute, as Reto Ziegler lofted a ball into the penalty area, Santiago Mosquera spun to evade Walker Zimmerman and chase down the ball. Mosquera chipped a ball past Miller and Zimmerman, but didn’t put enough on the ball, which allowed Ciman to come in and punt the ball into the 3252 supporters section. Then just before halftime, Maxi Urruti took a pass from Michael Barrios, sidestepped Ciman and broke for goal. Urruti played a ball back to Barrios, who took a touch before firing a shot that was stopped by Tyler Miller, then cleared out of bounds by Eduard Atuesta.
“We had opportunities where you choose to play the ball hard across the six, you try to develop ideas that can become habits and then they happen so natural,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said. “Every time I speak about Barcelona, it’s like PlayStation. All these things happen so fast and they are easy. You try to work to be sharper every day.”
FC Dallas persisted and finally managed to equalize in the 55th minute. Mosquera dribbled from the left side, passed a ball to Urruti, who took a touch that allowed him to evade Ciman, leaving him unmarked. Urruti then fired a volley just outside of the top of the penalty area that beat Miller at the right post.
Undeterred, LAFC looked for a go-ahead goal, and had two great chances at getting the three points late. The first chance came in the 71st minute, as Rossi sprung Omar Gaber for goal from the right side. Gaber got inside the penalty area and took a shot for Maurer’s far post, but it missed by a mere inches. The last chance for LAFC came in the 93rd minute, as Gaber played a ball to Vela inside the penalty area, Vela brought the ball down, turned and fired a shot near post, but missed.
Before the game, LAFC president Tom Penn, along with the leaders of the 3252 supporters groups and Ciman addressed the crowd regarding the homophobic chant that was unfortunately heard during last week’s match against Seattle. The group condemned the chants and reminded the people in attendance on Saturday that LAFC and Banc of California Stadium was a place of inclusion and tolerance. The pregame address worked, as the chant was not heard during any of LAFC’s goal kicks.
The match also saw the debut of Lee Nguyen, who was acquired during the week. Despite limited training time with the team, Nguyen was included in LAFC’s 18 and subbed in for Eduard Autesta in the 74th minute.
Obviously, it was a short turnaround for me, coming from Boston two days ago and now to be in this atmosphere,” Nguyen said. “I’m excited to get started and I told Bob [Bradley], ‘I’m ready if you need me, so it was a good first game.”
There will be no rest for the weary for LAFC, as they prepare for Minnesota on Wednesday, followed by a mother’s day tilt with New York City FC.
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