Welcome back, LAFC.
Coming off a much needed two-week break, LAFC welcomed FC Juarez to BMO Stadium for its Leagues Cup debut. LAFC’s MLS Cup winning season enabled them to bypass the group stages of the tournament altogether, which provided LAFC some much needed rest after having to juggle MLS, US Open Cup and CONCACAF Champions League plan throughout the first half of the season.
The long break turned out to be a massive benefit to LAFC, as they came out rolling against Juarez on Wednesday night. Carried by Denis Bouanga and Carlos Vela, LAFC stormed out of the gate and did not look back, rolling all the way to a comfortable 7-1 win over Juarez.
“Any time you can score goals, win games it’s great for confidence,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “A lot of these games been going to penalty shootouts so it’s nice to end the game in regulation as well, at an early moment too the game was decided.”
Bouanga had a hat trick in the match while Vela had a brace, and goals from Ryan Hollingshead and Nathan Ordaz completed the scoring. LAFC now awaits the winner of Thursday’s match between Real Salt Lake and Leon. There would be some intrigue to matching up with RSL, as they would be pitted against former teammate Cristian Arango. However, the prospect of having the opportunity to get some payback against a Leon side that had beaten them out for the CCL title almost two months earlier has to be tantalizing for LAFC, especially since they now have fresh legs.
LAFC took the lead on a lucky bounce in the 31st minute. Vela sent a corner kick into the penalty area, the ball was cleared, but went to the feet of Kellyn Acosta, who one-timed a right-footed shot at goal, the ball hit off Hollingshead’s right shoulder, and the ball went one way while keeper Ramon Pasquel went the other way, and the ball crossed the goal line and into the back net to give LAFC the lead.
LAFC again took advantage of more Juarez miscues two minutes later. Mateusz Bogush had the ball just inside the penalty area, then sent a ball that was deflected and Pasquel raced to beat Denis Bouanga to the ball and punch it away to his teammate Oscar Ortega, but he shanked on the clearance attempt, as he sent the ball to Vela and with Pasquel off his line, Vela pounced, lobbing a ball over Pasquel and into the far post net and just like that, in a span of two minutes, LAFC was up by two goals.
Juarez tried to make a game of it, getting on the board just two minutes into the second half. Sebastian Saucedo sent a corner kick into the penalty area, the ball deflected off Haret Ortega into the six-yard box to Javier Salas, who then redirected a ball to Amaury Escoto, who one-timed a ball past a scrambling John McCarthy into the back net to cut LAFC’s lead to a goal. Bouanga however rendered any thoughts of a Juarez comeback moot in the 52nd minute, as a one-two between Acosta and Hollingshead resulted in Acosta chasing the ball into the penalty area, Acosta sent an initial cross that was deflected, but the ball fell back to his feet. Acosta then sent a ball into the six-yard box, Bouanga swooped in and headed a ball at goal, Pasquel stopped the shot, but left a juicy rebound for Bouanga and this time he did not miss, as he sent the shot past Pasquel into the back net to restore LAFC’s two goal advantage.
” 10 shots, 7 goals, that’s pretty effective,” Cherundolo said. Effectiveness, defending our own box and finishing plays in the opponent’s box is something we’re working on and talking about and it’s nice to see that come together tonight.”
The floodgates soon opened thereafter for LAFC. Vela added his second goal of the match in the 61st minute in spectacular fashion, as he received a ball from Ilie Sanchez, then fired a left-footed volley from just outside the penalty area that sailed past Pasquel at the back post. Then five minutes later, Vela sprung Bouanga down the left side into the penalty area, and Bouanga needed just one touch to slot the shot past Pasquel far post. That goal was initially disallowed, as Bouanga was ruled offside, but referee Marcos de Oliveira soon got the call for Video Review, and what was discovered was that Bouanga was actually in an onside position when Vela sent the pass, the call was reversed, and LAFC was up 5-1.
LAFC did not let up on Juarez in the latter stages. LAFC got a chance to tally more goals starting in the 77th minute, as Erik Duenas played Diego Palacios, Juarez’s Luis Rodriguez tried to mark him, but ended up clipping Palacios’ right leg and de Oliveira quickly LAFC to the penalty spot. Bouanga stepped to the spot, Bouanga shot left, and while Pasquel guessed right, Bouanga still managed to power the shot past Pasquel into the back net to finish his hat trick. Nathan Ordaz added the icing on the cake for LAFC in stoppage time, as Bouanga sprung him down the right of the field, Ordaz touched into the penalty area, then slotted the left-footed shot past Pasquel far post to finish off LAFC’s dominant night.
