LAFC and the Vancouver Whitecaps are surely getting to know each other very well.
One week after closing out the regular season against each other, these two teams again faced each other on Saturday evening to open up the best-of-three MLS Cup playoff series, the first time since 2002 that MLS has gone to this format. After a shaky first half, LAFC righted the ship with three second half goals, and thus what had the makings of a dramatic contest instead became a runaway, a 5-2 win for LAFC at BMO Stadium.
“Not very different performances, both halves were in control, how we wanted it, very similar to the first half in Vancouver a week ago,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “Maybe the only difference is, maybe a little more
urgency to score a goal and play forward in the second half, in relation to the first half.”
Denis Bouanga and Ryan Hollingshead were the catalysts for LAFC, as both players had a brace in the match. The win puts LAFC in position to go for the sweep in game two next Sunday in Vancouver.
“This momentum carries forward, but you have to turn the page. By 8 or 9 to nothing you still have to go down there [Vancouver] play 0-0 and if you lose then the series is still 1-1,” LAFC keeper Maxime Crepeau said. “So yes, you take the positive and take the momentum with you. But at the end of the day the page has to be turned and focus on a brand-new game next week.”
Tied at two going into the second half, LAFC turned the game on its head. LAFC regained the advantage in the 51st minute, as Carlos Vela sent a corner kick into the Vancouver penalty area, the ball eventually fell to Bouanga, who shot a ball towards goal, the shot was blocked, but the ball fell to the feet of Hollingshead, and he one-timed a shot past keeper Yohei Takaoka far post.
LAFC was just getting started. LAFC doubled the advantage in the 64th minute, as Vela played a free kick short to Bouanga, and the set piece got Bouanga in a shooting position, and he didn’t waste the chance, as he shot a ball outside the box that got past a group of players on both sides, then past Takaoka far post. LAFC finished off the night in the 84th minute, as Jesus David Murillo headed in a Mateusz Bogusz corner kick.
“We got guys that can step up at any moment and score,” Hollingshead said “Our eights can score, Carlos playing as a nine, of course, can score, both of our wingers are phenomenal, our defenders, Murillo getting a goal today, I can score. Having that sort of firepower offensively is huge because in a set piece who are you going to mark?”
Such a result seemed unlikely given how the first half played out. LAFC struck first in the 17th minute, as Vela sent a corner kick into the penalty area, Ryan Hollingshead headed a ball towards goal, Takaoka made the save, but the ball fell back to Hollingshead, and he made good use of the second chance, as he buried the shot far post. The Whitecaps however caught a break, and immediately capitalized in the 27th minute, as Andrés Cubas intercepted a pass from Murillo, then sprung Brian White with a through ball down the left side, White dribbled into the penalty area, then slotted the shot past keeper Maxime Crepeau far post for the first equalizer.
It took LAFC just two minutes to respond. Bouanga dribbled down the left side into the penalty area, then dribbled inside to the center lane and fired the right-footed shot past Takaoka to put LAFC back in front. But Vancouver had another equalizer in them, as Ryan Gauld sent a corner kick into the penalty area and Sam Adekugbe headed a ball past Crepeau far post to tie the match one more time.
