Carlos Vela again led the way for LAFC against FC Dallas on Thursday night.
By Ivan Yeo
If you think its tough playing the same team back to back weeks, try facing the same team inside a week’s span.
That was what awaited LAFC heading into the weekend. Having already played its two matches against the Seattle Sounders in back to back weeks last April, LAFC played the first game of home-and-home series against FC Dallas at Banc of California Stadium on Thursday night, and with both teams set to play the return match in Dallas on Sunday, LAFC made the most of having essentially a first leg at home, as its attack was on point and goals from Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi gave LAFC a 2-0 win.
Vela was on the attack for LAFC from the start. His first chance came in the 10th minute as LAFC was awarded a free kick from about 20 yards out. Vela sent the free kick on target, but it instead hit off the crossbar and back into play. The framework foiled Vela again in the 25th minute, as he took a corner kick from Atuesta, dribbled into the penalty area and fired a close-range shot that bounced off the left post.
The moment finally came for Vela and LAFC in the 39th minute. Rossi passed a ball to Atuesta, who then played a ball forward to Vela, who was kept onside due in large part to Matt Hedges dropping back to try to defend him, Vela then blasted a left-footed shot that beat Gonzalez far post to finally get LAFC on the board.
LAFC continued to apply the pressure throughout the second half, but its next goal didn’t come until late in the second half, and even then, there was a little suspense applied to it. Adama Diomande dispossessed Reggie Cannon, the ball went towards Hedges and Vela, Hedges won the ball, but Diomande kept his run and when Hedges played a ball back towards goal, Diomande got to the ball before Gonzalez could, touched a ball to Rossi, who buried the open net goal.
The goal however was waived off, as the linesman raised his flag, believing it was Vela who touched the ball to Diomande, which would have made him offside. However, the referee got the signal for video review, and the replay confirmed that it was Hedges who touched the ball to Diomande, meaning the play, and more importantly, the goal, stood.
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