Slowly but surely, LAFC is starting to get its mojo back.
With this long grueling stretch of midweek matches and and a three-way crisscrossing between MLS play, CONCACAF Champions League, and the US Open Cup; LAFC appears to be getting back that aura of invincibility. Having won on Saturday in Kansas City, LAFC turned in a gritty effort of sorts against the Seattle Sounders on Wednesday night. A Mateusz Bogusz goal combined with some timely goalkeeping and a stingy defensive effort enabled LAFC to maintain its hold on the top spot in the Western Conference with the 1-0 win at BMO Stadium.
“I think textbook discipline and the awareness and the effort is back,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “What we’re still working on will come with time and with confidence is just really the combination play and being a little more secure with our passing, making better decisions to create more chances in the final third, that’s the only missing piece.”
With the win, LAFC (9-3-5, 32 points) moves into sole possession of first place in the West, three points clear of St. Louis City FC and four points clear of the third-place Sounders.
It took LAFC just 53 seconds to get on the board. Bogusz received a ball from Denil Maldonado, worked a one-two pass with Kwadwo Opoku that freed up Bogusz to break for goal. Bogusz dribbled to the top of the penalty area, then fired a shot from about 24 yards out that appeared to deflect off Sounders defender Jackson Ragen. Nevertheless, the ball managed to curl past keeper Stefan Frei at the near post, and LAFC was out in front in the blink of an eye.
“The game opened quick,” Bogusz said “We’re winning 1-0, I had the goal, so it gave me the confidence. It was really nice.”
Seattle did it’s best to respond, but were foiled by keeper John McCarthy. The Sounders’ first chance came in the 22nd minute, as Albert Rusnak played Leo Chu down the left side, Chu crossed into the penalty area to Raul Ruidiaz, who volleyed a one-timer right at goal, but McCarthy parried the ball back into play and Diego Palacios cleared the ball out of the penalty area. Seattle’s next best chance came two minutes later, as Cody Baker crossed into the penalty area, Giorgio Chiellini cut off the cross, but Obed Vargas recovered for Seattle inside the penalty area, dribbled towards the end line, played a short cross outside of the six-yard box and again it was Ruidiaz that had a chance to equalize. This time though, Ruidiaz chose to head the ball towards goal, the header was on target, but the result was the same, as McCarthy calmly made the save and Ryan Hollingshead cleared the ball out of the penalty area.
“It’s just managing if we play short or we play long and I think we worked our way into that,” McCarthy said “We did have some bad moments and bad kicks, but like I said, it’s part of the game. I think we managed it well as a team as a whole and just figured out how to play through them or behind them.”
LAFC slowly wilted away the match throughout the first and second halves, and thought they had put the game away in the 76th minute. Bogusz sent a free kick into the penalty area and Jose Cifuentes sent the ball past Frei into the back net to double the LAFC lead. However, referee Ted Unkel was summoned by VAR official David Barrie to take a second look at the play, and what was discovered that Cifuentes actually played the ball off his hand for the goal, thus making it a rather easy decision for Unkel to waive off the goal. Despite the setback, LAFC was able to close out the remainder of the match.
