Photos courtesy of LAFC.
LAFC and Diego Rossi, right, are starting to regain their peak form.
Don’t look now, but LAFC are moving up in the Western Conference standings.
It appears that LAFC’s struggles in the first half of the season are a distant memory, and its not just LAFC that appears to be regaining its 2019 form. LAFC got goals from its top two players Carlos Vela and Diego Rossi, and those goals were key in LAFC’s third straight win, as they got past a game Real Salt Lake squad 2-1 at Banc of California Stadium.
“Overall, really good team game,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said. “Had to work hard for it, and it’s a night where certainly we could’ve scored more goals, but we’re creating a lot of chances.”
After spending the first three months without Vela and with that, outside of the Western Conference playoff standings, LAFC is gaining ground in the standings, as its 21 points leave them tied with the Colorado Rapids for fourth place, three behind the third-place LA Galaxy.
After a back-and-forth first half and a second half that saw them keep their foot on the pedal, but unable to put the back in the back net, Vela finally regained the advantage for LAFC in the 79th minute. Kim Moon Hwan sent a cross into the penalty area, Vela brought the ball down, then fired a left-footed shot that snuck past keeper David Ochoa and went in far post to put LAFC back in front.
“He’s a fantastic player, a world-class player, something that I feel on a day-to-day basis while training with him,” Kim said of Vela.
Vela’s winner was a redemption of sorts. Real Salt Lake was whistled for a handball inside the penalty area int he 58th minute, giving LAFC a golden chance to take the lead. Vela stepped up to the penalty spot and went to his right, but Ochoa guessed correctly, and sent the penalty over the end line.
LAFC jumped ahead in the 10th minute. Rossi took a ball from Latiff Blessing, dribbled for the penalty area, then worked a one-two with Jose Cifuentes that ended with Cifuentes playing Rossi into the penalty area, and Rossi sent the shot past Ochoa far post to give LAFC the early lead. That lead however was short-lived, as Salt Lake equalized in the 18th minute. Damir Kreilach received a ball from Albert Rusnak, sprung Everton Luiz with a well-timed forward ball, Luiz immediately crossed to a sprinting Aaron Herrera, and Herrera took a touch, LAFC keeper Tomas Romero came off his line and Herrera fired a shot just outside the penalty area that beat Romero into the back net to tie the game.
“I think we played really well tonight, and it didn’t come easy,” Bradley said. “Sometimes you have a game when even though you play well, you’ve go to fight to get the result and keep pushing til the end.”
LAFC will look to keep the momentum going next Saturday night when they welcome the Vancouver Whitecaps to Banc of California Stadium.
