Los Angeles FC advanced to the Western Conference MLS playoff semi-finals after beating the Vancouver Whitecaps 1-0 at the BMO Stadium on Friday.
After a tense first-half that saw just one shot on target, Mateusz Bogusz's 62nd minute strike settled the best-of-three series to set up a tie with the Seattle Sounders.
A cagey opening to proceedings saw clear-cut chances hard to come by, as visiting striker Brian White saw his effort comfortably gathered by Hugo Lloris in the 27th minute.
But the decisive moment came just after the hour-mark when Andres Cubas' poor header was collected by Bogusz, with the Pole then firing a left-footed effort into the far corner.
Vancouver, however, improved after going a goal down and thought they had drawn themselves level through Tristan Blackmon, but his 74th minute header was ruled out for offside.
The visitors continued to push to try and send the game to penalties, but LAFC were able to hold on to seal their progression to the semi-finals for the third consecutive season.
Data Debrief: Bogusz keeps the double alive
In a game that lacked quality from both sides in the final third, LAFC's Bogusz proved to be the difference, netting his 20th goal of the season in all competitions on Friday.
The Pole also registered a team-high expected goals (xG) tally of 0.21, while also completing the joint-most successful dribbles (three) along with Lewis O'Brien.
The Whitecaps, meanwhile, have still managed to win just once in their 13 all-time away matches against LAFC (D4 L8), though this one may be their most heartbreaking.
Vanni Sartini opened his arms to an unlikely addition to the Vancouver Whitecaps’ fanbase in their deciding fixture against Los Angeles FC in the MLS playoffs.
In the Whitecaps’ wild card match against the Portland Timbers, a game they won 5-0, opposition manager Phil Neville believed that God was on his side after the game was played at Providence Park, despite Vancouver finishing higher in the Western Conference.
Sartini explained after the result that he did not believe in God but said he would be a welcome Whitecaps supporter in their must-win encounter at the BMO Stadium.
“I don’t know. After last time when I said that I don’t think he exists, I don’t know if he wants to become part of the Whitecaps, but if he does, we will give him an honorary card,” Sartini said.
The Whitecaps forced a deciding game in their best-of-three series after beating LAFC 3-0 at BC Place, the only tie to go the distance in the West.
Vancouvers’ postseason form has seen them play some of their best football this term, and Sartini is hoping for that to continue.
“We had a run in the late summer, and we were playing really well, and we have achieved that same level, and it’s the level of a top four team to be honest,” Sartini added.
“The three games, we knew that the conditions were going to be back, and we knew we were gearing towards the playoffs with all the players arriving and ready to go.
“I know that we will play a good game in Los Angeles, we will. If we win, I don’t know. We will honour this playoff run.”
LAFC, meanwhile, will be aiming to avenge their defeat in Game 2, hoping not to become the second high-profile casualty in the playoffs after the Columbus Crew were eliminated by the New York Red Bulls in the Eastern Conference bracket.
Ryan Gauld opened the scoring in the 10th minute before two own-goals either side of half-time from Ryan Hollingshead and Eddie Segura sealed the win for Vancouver.
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo bemoaned his side’s slow start to proceedings after finding themselves two goals down inside 13 minutes and is looking to rectify that on home turf this time around.
“If you go back to the 11 games that we lost this season, it has always been the crucial moments at the beginning of the half where we make mental lapses and errors,” Cherundolo said.
“It was a little sloppy mentally and tactically in those moments and that is just not good enough to win games. Against Vancouver, it is difficult because they are a team full of energy.
“They almost always capitalise on opponents’ mistakes, and they did against us. We have nothing to blame but ourselves and we will look to correct those errors in training.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
Despite not finding the back of the net in Game 2, Bouanga will be hoping to get himself back among the goals against one of his favoured opponents in the MLS.
He has recorded at least one goal contribution in all five home matches he’s played against Vancouver in all competitions, totalling four goals and four assists over the five matches.
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Gauld has scored in four straight matches for the Whitecaps going back to the end of the regular season, including a goal during his side’s victory in Game 2.
The only Whitecaps player to score in five straight MLS matches (regular season and playoffs) is Camilo Sanvezzo between June and July 2013.
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
While the series is level heading into the decider, it is LAFC who are predicted to emerge victorious according to Opta’s data-led simulations.
However, their seven-match winning streak in all competitions ended with the loss to Vancouver in Game 2. LAFC have not lost consecutive matches in over a year, since a three-match losing run between August and September 2023.
Vancouver’s 3-0 win last time out ended an eight-match winless run in the best-of-three series. (D2 L6). They have managed only one win in 12 all-time away matches against LAFC (D4 L7) but did beat the Black and Gold in a penalty shootout at BMO Stadium in the Leagues Cup this year.
The Whitecaps’ triumph in Game 2 was their third all-time playoff victory (D2 L8). In those three wins, the Whitecaps have outscored opponents, 13-0, while being outscored 19-6, in their other 10 postseason contests.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC – 63.1%
Draw – 19.6%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 17.3%
The Columbus Crew's MLS Cup title defence came crashing to a halt as they were eliminated from the playoffs following a penalty shoot-out defeat to the New York Red Bulls.
Following a surprise home defeat in Game 1, Wilfried Nancy's champions needed a road win in Game 2 to keep their season alive, but Yevhen Cheberko, Max Arfsten and Alexandru Matan all saw their spot-kicks repelled by Carlos Coronel following a pulsating 2-2 draw.
Arfsten had earlier given Columbus a 55th-minute lead moments after stepping off the bench, only for Dante Vanzeir to drill home a swift equaliser.
New York looked set to advance when Emil Forsberg's 80th-minute penalty completed the turnaround, but another Crew substitute, Christian Ramirez, headed home six minutes into second-half stoppage time to force the shoot-out.
Columbus couldn't keep up their momentum from 12 yards, though, with Colonel's three saves proving vital as New York won it at the second time of asking, Daniel Edelman scoring the decisive kick after Sean Nealis had failed to do so.
Elsewhere, the Seattle Sounders also needed penalties to dump the Houston Dynamo out in round one, prevailing from the spot for the second game in a row.
Seattle's Cristian Roldan scored at both ends, slotting home an 87th-minute opener only to put through his own net three minutes into stoppage time, turning in Griffin Dorsey's cross.
The first 13 penalties in the shoot-out were all scored, but Tate Schmitt was the unfortunate man to see his spot-kick saved, Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei pushing it away to send his team to the Western Conference semifinals.
Finally, Ryan Gauld scored and forced two own goals as the Vancouver Whitecaps kept their best-of-three series against Los Angeles FC alive with a 3-0 triumph at BC Place.
The Scotland midfielder powered home after 10 minutes and, just 180 seconds later, saw his long-range effort deflected past Hugo Lloris by the unwitting Ryan Hollingshead.
Denis Bouanga twice went close for the Western Conference's top seeds after the break before Gauld was involved again in Vancouver's third goal, seeing a cross go in off the heel of Eddie Segura.
The teams will now reconvene for a third match next week, with the victors set to face Seattle in the next round.
Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris has demanded more from his team-mates if they are to replicate their U.S. Open Cup triumph in the MLS playoffs.
LAFC edged the first game of their best-of-three series against the Vancouver Whitecaps, with Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera on target for Steve Cherundolo’s side.
But Lloris, who joined the Black and Gold from Tottenham almost a year ago, was not impressed by his side’s showing and insists they must improve when they travel to BC Place.
"The performance is not enough, but we got the result so that's the most important thing," Lloris said.
"I think we need to increase our level if we want to have a mission. A win is a win, so that's positive."
"If we want to have a mission in this MLS Cup [playoffs], we need to do even better. "But I believe. We can do it.
"We need to realise that a game like tonight, we didn't feel safe until the end. So we have to do better."
Defender Aaron Long echoed Lloris’ thoughts, saying: “It’s definitely a job's-not-done mentality. We have one more game, potentially two more games.
"But I think a lot of us weren't happy giving up that goal late as well.”
“We want to finish that in a professional manner and end the game 2-0, even if it doesn't carry over on aggregate.
"At least as a defender, that subdued me a tiny bit. But we'll look at the film again, a great win at home, and on to the next one.”
For Vanni Sartini, meanwhile, he acknowledged that his side were the better team in Game 1, but said that even playing well against LAFC, who topped the Western Conference in the regular season, would not be good enough.
But knowing they must win the game to keep their playoff campaign rolling, Sartini wants that little bit extra from his players, something he hopes will come from the home supporters inside BC Place.
“The main takeaway from the game is that playing well is probably not enough against them. We need to play well like we did in the last game, but we also need to have a little bit extra,” Sartini said.
“That can be the extra performance of individuals or even the extra courage that we need to have when we are attacking. I think we need this kind of extra.
“Hopefully, playing at home is going to help us win the game on Sunday.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Gauld scored Vancouver’s only goal on Sunday after netting a hat-trick in the Wild Card Round against Portland Timbers in midweek.
The Scot is the first player in the Whitecaps’ MLS history to score in consecutive playoff matches.
LAFC - Denis Bouanga
Bouanga has scored in all three of his postseason meetings with the Whitecaps, the sixth player in MLS history to score in three straight playoff games against a single opponent.
No player in league history has scored in four straight postseason games against a single team, though the Gabon international will have his eyes set on making history this time around.
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
LAFC have won three of their last four away matches against Vancouver in all competitions (D1), including a 1-0 win in last season’s playoffs and a 2-1 win in October in the league. LAFC had won only one of their first five road matches against Vancouver (L4).
They have also won seven straight matches in all competitions dating back to winning the US Open Cup Final in late September. LAFC has won 26 of their last 36 matches in all competitions (D5 L5) dating back to late April after opening the season with four wins in 11 games (D3 L4).
The Whitecaps, meanwhile, will be looking to return to winning ways at home. They have lost three straight home matches in all competitions for the first time since July 2019. Since joining MLS in 2011, Vancouver have never suffered four straight home defeats in all competitions.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Vancouver Whitecaps – 28.4%
Draw – 24.4%
LAFC – 47.2%
Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera were on target as Los Angeles FC edged out the Vancouver Whitecaps 2-1 on Sunday.
LAFC, the 2022 MLS Cup champions, will book their place in the next round should they win north of the border next week.
Ryan Gauld netted in the 94th minute for the Whitecaps, but it was too little, too late for the Canadian side, who hammered the Portland Timbers in the wildcard round.
LAFC have now won seven straight playoff games against Western Conference opponents, while Bouanga has netted eight goals in nine postseason appearances.
Hugo Lloris, however, says LAFC must sharpen up.
"The performance is not [good] enough, but we got the result so that's the most important thing," Lloris said.
"We need to increase [our levels] if we want to have ambition. A win is a win, so that's positive, but there were things we need to fix if we are to improve."
Elsewhere, Orlando City also made a winning start to their playoff campaign as they beat Charlotte FC 2-0.
Facundo Torres put Orlando ahead in the 32nd minute at Inter&Co Stadium, with Martin Ojeda doubling the hosts' tally 14 minutes from time.
A frustrating day for Dean Smith's Charlotte team was compounded when Pep Biel was sent off late on, though they will at least have home advantage when they look to turn the best-of-three series around next time out.
Steve Cherundolo believes Los Angeles FC's home fans can play a decisive role in the MLS Cup Playoffs as last season's runners-up prepare to host the Vancouver Whitecaps.
LAFC sealed the Western Conference's top seed in dramatic fashion last week, pipping the LA Galaxy after their cross-city rivals suffered a last-gasp defeat to the Houston Dynamo.
Cherundolo's men – who were beaten by the Columbus Crew in last season's MLS Cup final – play host to wild-card side Vancouver in the opener of a three-match series on Sunday, and he believes home advantage could be key.
"We are always really focused on the next play and doing our jobs, and our jobs are to win games, to collect points and to be there if the other teams slip up," Cherundolo said.
"That's what happened, and when you do stay close to teams and don't let them run away with it, the pressure can mount up."
Touching on the impact of playing at home, he added: "Our crowd is like nothing else I've seen live in LA, it's pure passion, it's electrifying and it really has the ability to make our players better.
"We're trying to make memories and the fans are integral part of that. For us to be able to make another long or deep run in the playoffs, we need them."
Vancouver reached this stage by trouncing the Portland Timbers 5-0 in the wild-card round, equalling the second-largest margin of victory in playoff history.
"Everything went in our direction, it was possible because of the work rate of everyone," head coach Vanni Sartini said, reflecting on that comprehensive road win.
"Hopefully from now on it's going to be about improving and getting the team in that rhythm.
"Playing in LA is always really hard so we have a goal as a team to go there and be in their face and be aggressive, because we have a second chance even if it doesn't go well."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Los Angeles FC – Denis Bouanga
Bouanga has scored seven goals in eight appearances in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
His figure of 0.84 goals per 90 minutes in the postseason is the second-best of any player that has played 500 or more playoff minutes in MLS history (Carlos Ruiz – 0.87).
Vancouver Whitecaps – Ryan Gauld
Gauld scored the seventh hat-trick in MLS playoff history against Portland on Wednesday and the first by a Whitecaps player.
It marked the second hat-trick by a Whitecaps player against a Cascadia rival in an MLS match (including playoffs) after Kekuta Manneh scored three for Vancouver against the Seattle Sounders in October 2013.
MATCH PREDICTION – LOS ANGELES FC WIN
This will be the third knockout tie between Los Angeles and Vancouver with LAFC sweeping each of the previous two.
LAFC won both legs by a combined scoreline of 6-0 in the quarter-finals of the 2023 CONCACAF Champions League before eliminating the Whitecaps in two games in the first round of last year's playoffs.
The hosts have also won six straight playoff matches against Western Conference opponents, outscoring them 15-5 en route to the last two MLS Cup Finals.
The only longer in-conference playoff winning streak in MLS history (excluding breakaway shootout wins) was a seven-match run by Seattle between 2018 and 2020.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Los Angeles FC – 64.1%
Vancouver Whitecaps – 16.7%
Draw – 19.2%
Los Angeles FC beat their cross-city rivals, the LA Galaxy, to top spot in the Western Conference on the final day of the MLS regular season, while D.C. United were pipped to a playoff place by Atlanta United.
The Galaxy simply needed to avoid defeat to take the West's number one seed, with LAFC coming from behind to beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1.
Having gone behind to an Ezequiel Ponce strike away at the Houston Dynamo, the Galaxy drew level six minutes into second-half stoppage time as MLS Newcomer of the Year favourite Gabriel Pec converted from the penalty spot.
However, former Galaxy defender Daniel Steres headed into the top-left corner 11 minutes into stoppage time to hand LAFC their third conference title, and their second in three seasons.
Elsewhere, there was heartbreak for Troy Lesesne's D.C. side as a 3-0 defeat at home to Charlotte FC saw them slip out of the wild-card places in the Eastern Conference.
That result opened the door to Atlanta, who upset Orlando City with a 2-1 road win to move ahead of D.C. on goal difference and join Montreal in the wild-card round.
Josef Martinez joined Caden Clark on the scoresheet as Montreal beat already-qualified New York City 2-0 at Stade Saputo to finish eighth.
Those results meant the Philadelphia Union missed the postseason for the first time since 2017, as they squandered a 1-0 lead in a 2-1 home loss to FC Cincinnati to finish 12th.
Steve Cherundolo wants Los Angeles FC to focus on their own game as they look to secure top spot against the San Jose Earthquakes.
LAFC can finish top of the Western Conference if they win by a two-goal margin and LA Galaxy lose to Houston Dynamo on Saturday.
Cherundolo's side kept themselves in contention going into the final day by snatching a late 2-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps, extending their winning streak to four games.
And though the head coach would like to finish top of the pile, he acknowledged that it was largely out of LAFC's hands.
"We don't spend a lot of time discussing scenarios," he said. "I think for us the important thing is to enjoy the weekend, and obviously, that is trying to win the game with a two-goal advantage.
"What happens elsewhere we'll obviously be monitoring, but not closely. We're better off focusing on ourselves.
"We've won a couple of games in a row now and to finish the season on a high with a win is important. We're focused on what we know we do well and that's great preparation."
No matter the result, San Jose will finish bottom of the table, with the worst result of any team in MLS.
Interim head coach Ian Russell is looking to salvage some pride in their final outing and is hoping to use their win over LAFC earlier this season as motivation.
"It's a tough test - LAFC are a good team," he said.
"We typically match up well against them, but we need to go down there, play good football, defend well, limit their chances and try to hurt them."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC – Mateusz Bogusz
Mateusz Bogusz scored his 15th goal of the season in LAFC's win over Vancouver on Sunday.
Bogusz is the fifth different LAFC player to score 15 goals in a season while no other team has more than three different players with a 15-goal season since the club joined MLS in 2018.
San Jose Earthquakes – Daniel
San Jose have conceded 75 goals this season, tied with FC Cincinnati in 2019 for the most in a single season in MLS history.
Cincinnati had allowed 75 goals after 33 matches that season but kept a clean sheet against D.C. United in their final match and Daniel will be hoping to do the same, so the visitors can go out on a high.
MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC WIN
LAFC have won nine of their 11 all-time home matches against San Jose (D1 L1), including a 4-1 win in the Leagues Cup Round of 16 on August 13. LAFC have scored at least three goals in seven of the 11 meetings at BMO Stadium.
In fact, LAFC have lost only one of their last 11 games played in October, November and December dating back to last season (W9 D1), with the lone defeat coming in the MLS Cup Final at Columbus Crew last December.
Meanwhile, the Earthquakes enter the final match of the season with 24 losses, tied for the most outright defeats in a single season in MLS history (along with D.C. United in 2013, excluding breakaway shootout losses).
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC – 73.9%
Draw – 15.2%
San Jose Earthquakes – 10.9%
Ilie Sanchez's stoppage-time goal secured Los Angeles FC a 2-1 victory over Vancouver Whitecaps in MLS on Sunday.
Sergi Palencia's own goal had cancelled out Mateusz Bogusz's early opener at BC Place, but LAFC found their winner last on to close the gap to leaders LA Galaxy to just three points in the Western Conference.
David Martinez cut Vancouver's defence open with a throughball to Bogusz, who dinked a lovely finish over Yohei Takaoka from a tight angle on the left just 34 seconds into the match.
Bogusz then thought he had doubled their advantage after springing on a brilliant save from Takaoka to deny Palencia, but it was ruled out for a foul in the build-up.
The Spaniard handed the Whitecaps their equaliser – he gave away a free-kick on the left and got the final contact on Sebastian Berhalter's free-kick to help it past Hugo Lloris.
Having weathered the storm from Vancouver after the equaliser, including a clearance off the line by Timothy Tillman, LAFC found a late winner, with Sanchez firing in from the edge of the box.
And Brian White, who had glanced a header narrowly wide earlier in the second half, squandered the chance for an even later equaliser, flicking another effort off the far post in the dying seconds.
Data Debrief: Quick out of the blocks
Despite their winning goal coming late in the game, it was actually LAFC's quick start that set them up for the win - Bogusz's goal was their fastest in MLS this season, and their second fastest in history.
They have also scored nine goals in the opening 15 minutes of games, with only St. Louis City (12) and New York City FC (11) netting more.
Meanwhile, Vancouver have now lost each of their last three matches, their longest such streak since October 2022-March 2023.
Steve Cherundolo stated his pride in Los Angeles FC's defence and hopes they can put in another big performance against Sporting Kansas City on Saturday.
LAFC have won their last three games in all competitions, starting with their US Open Cup win over Sporting KC before getting back on track in MLS.
They are second in the Western Conference with three games left, with their 1-0 win over St. Louis City, in which they did not concede a single shot on target, closing the gap to LA Galaxy.
Cherundolo lauded his defenders for that performance and is pleased to see their training sessions paying off.
"It's great to see we're growing and learning in certain situations and putting all the pieces together," Cherundolo said.
"The defensive side of the game is something we train a lot and take pride in. When our defenders have enough minutes together and continuity, we're quite good.
"They've done extremely well and adapted amazingly by applying their lessons from training into the matches."
Meanwhile, Kansas City will not be playing in the postseason as they sit 13th after just one win in their last five, losing 3-1 to St. Louis last time out.
However, head coach Peter Vermes has challenged his side to finish the regular season on a high.
"I'd like to win both games. This isn't like handing out free passes to go and play," Vermes said.
"Being in this spot isn't normal for our club, but I'm not changing the way I pick the team. We've still got two games to play, and we'll give it everything we have to make it tough."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Sporting Kansas City – Stephen Afrifa
Despite dominating against St. Louis last time out, Kansas City failed to get a win, though Stephen Afrifa ensured they did not fire a blank.
He scored their only goal after having six shots, four of which were on target, while also having nine touches in the opposition box, more than anyone else on the pitch.
LAFC – Denis Bouanga
There is no doubt who has been one of the star performers for LAFC this season, with Denis Bouanga scoring 19 goals in MLS so far.
He does not just score goals though, as he can also dictate play – his five chances created against St. Louis last time out were the most of any player in the game.
MATCH PREDICTION: LOS ANGELES FC WIN
Kansas City have failed to win any of the six meetings with LAFC since September 2021 in MLS regular season and have only won four of their 12 matches overall against the club.
This will be the third meeting between the sides this season, with their previous MLS meeting ending in a 0-0 draw, before LAFC beat them 3-1 in extra time to clinch the US Open Cup final last month.
That win over Sporting in the final started a three-match winning streak for LAFC, who were winless in their five games prior to that run.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
Sporting Kansas City – 28.8%
Draw – 24.5%
LAFC – 46.8%
Los Angeles FC coach Steve Cherundolo labelled Denis Bouanga as "unstoppable" when the forward is at his best.
Bouanga came off the bench to score the winner as LAFC beat FC Cincinnati 2-1 over the weekend.
That victory saw LAFC, fresh from winning the US Open Cup, clinch their spot in the playoffs.
Bouanga, who has scored 18 goals and set up a further eight in MLS this season, was not impressed with having to settle for a super-sub role, but Cherundolo cares not.
"Denis always wants to play; he never wants to rest," Cherundolo said.
"He was quite upset with me for not starting. And that's okay. Everybody can hate me, that's fine.
"But I think freshness and also making sure he's getting enough rest makes him also better.
"Obviously, he's physically capable of playing every game, but when he loses his explosiveness, he is still extremely good and we're happy to have him.
"But with explosiveness and freshness, he's unstoppable."
Ahead of playing St. Louis City SC on Wednesday, the challenge that now faces LAFC is to go on and secure a home playoff seed.
"To have that sort of response, it's going to be huge going forward for us," defender Ryan Hollingshead said after the win over Cincinnati.
"The team's already confident. And then you throw that result on top of it, I think it's going to be exactly what we need to go get a really good seed in the West moving forward and then go make another run for a cup."
PLAYERS TO WATCH
LAFC - Kei Kamara
Kamara set up LAFC's opener against Cincinnati.
It was Kamara's 49th assist in MLS. He is now one away from becoming the fifth player in league history with 100 goals and 50 assists.
St. Louis City SC - Cedric Teuchert
Teuchert has recorded eight goal contributions in his first seven MLS matches (five goals, three assists), including three in Saturday's win over Sporting Kansas City.
He is the first player to record eight goal contributions in his first seven MLS matches since Alejandro Pozuelo (10) in 2019.
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
St. Louis, who are 12th in the Western Conference, are unbeaten in four straight away matches for the first time in club history. Indeed, they have lost only six of their last 15 on the road dating back to the beginning of March (W1 D8).
However, LAFC are nevertheless backed by Opta's predictor. They have now hit 50 points in five of their six full MLS seasons, becoming one of two teams, along with the Philadelphia Union, to reach 50 points five times in the last six full seasons dating back to 2018 (excluding the shortened 2020 season).
The omens are good for LAFC, who are unbeaten against St. Louis, winning two of the three meetings (D1). In fact, LAFC have kept clean sheets in all three matches against St. Louis, making them the only opponent the latter have faced but never scored against.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
LAFC - 62.1%
St. Louis City - 17.8%
Draw - 20%
Olivier Giroud said his move to Los Angeles FC was in a quest to win trophies after he helped guide his side to a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City in the US Open Cup final.
LAFC exorcised the demons from four consecutive final defeats, including in the Leagues Cup showpiece against Columbus Crew last month, to prevail at the BMO Stadium in extra-time.
Giroud, who made the move to the MLS after leaving Milan last season, opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, turning home Mateusz Bogusz's cross from close range.
Sporting KC responded seven minutes later when Erik Thommy fired Daniel Salloi's cutback beyond Hugo Lloris' at his near post to send the game to extra-time.
Substitute Omar Campos curled home a fine finish in the 102nd minute to give the Black and Gold the lead before Kei Kamara headed home to seal LAFC's maiden triumph in the competition.
"I came here to win trophies and to play that kind of final," said Giroud.
"I was really sad and disappointed for the team regarding the Leagues Cup.
"We've been in a difficult run these last weeks, but we stuck together, and we really wanted to win this trophy for the fans, for the club.
"It does matter for me, for the boys, and I'm so happy to score in this final and to help the team."
LAFC return to MLS action this weekend when they travel to the TQL Stadium to face FC Cincinnati.
Olivier Giroud said his move to Los Angeles FC was in a quest to win trophies after he helped guide his side to a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City in the US Open Cup final.
LAFC exorcised the demons from four consecutive final defeats, including in the Leagues Cup showpiece against Columbus Crew last month, to prevail at the BMO Stadium in extra-time.
Giroud, who made the move to the MLS after leaving Milan last season, opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, turning home Mateusz Bogusz's cross from close range.
Sporting KC responded seven minutes later when Erik Thommy fired Daniel Salloi's cutback beyond Hugo Lloris' at his near post to send the game to extra-time.
Substitute Omar Campos curled home a fine finish in the 102nd minute to give the Black and Gold the lead before Kei Kamara headed home to seal LAFC's maiden triumph in the competition.
"I came here to win trophies and to play that kind of final," said Giroud.
"I was really sad and disappointed for the team regarding the Leagues Cup.
"We've been in a difficult run these last weeks, but we stuck together, and we really wanted to win this trophy for the fans, for the club.
"It does matter for me, for the boys, and I'm so happy to score in this final and to help the team."
LAFC return to MLS action this weekend when they travel to the TQL Stadium to face FC Cincinnati.
FC Dallas interim head coach Peter Luccin labelled his side’s upcoming fixture against Western Conference leaders Los Angeles FC as “crucial” if they are to make the playoffs this season.
The Toros fell to a 3-2 defeat to Real Salt Lake in their last encounter, leaving them 11th in the table and four points behind the playoff line with five games of the season remaining.
Dallas are winless in their last three MLS games, and Luccin reiterated the message to his players that this weekend could be their final chance at continuing their season.
“We need to be clear now,” Luccin started. We cannot lie. We have a game on Saturday that could be our last chance, even though we have two games at home.
“Our last game was important, but this one is crucial for us if we want to try and reach the playoffs.
“It is just making sure everybody is in good shape. We are playing against a big team on Saturday, and we need to be prepared for that game.”
LAFC, meanwhile, were held by Dallas’ playoff rivals Austin FC in midweek, allowing a cluster of sides around them to threaten their third-place position.
Despite dominating for large parts of their encounter last time out, head coach Steve Cherundolo highlighted his side’s rushed approach to proceedings.
While the LAFC head coach acknowledged the fatigue setting in at this stage of the season, he said that some of the mistakes his players were making could cost them in the future.
“I thought with the ball we could have created more in the first half but were too rushed and impatient,” Cherundolo said.
“Our choice-making of passes was often times too risky, with not enough reward.”
“We’ve seen that before in recent weeks and that’s impossible to win games in a fatigued state at this stage of the season if you’re making errors like that.”
PLAYERS TO WATCH
FC Dallas – Jesus Ferreira
Ferreira scored his fourth regular-season direct free-kick goal for FC Dallas on Wednesday. Since 2010, the only Americans with more direct free-kick goals in regular season MLS play are Jeff Larentowicz and Chris Tierney (five each).
LAFC – Ryan Hollingshead
Hollingshead recorded his fourth assist of the season on Wednesday. With Hollingshead also having a goal in 2024, this is the sixth straight regular season the defender has contributed to at least five goals dating back to 2019.
MATCH PREDICTION: LAFC WIN
LAFC have lost two of its last 12 away matches in all competitions, including a 4-2 defeat to the Galaxy on Saturday (W8 D2). LAFC conceded seven times in the two losses over that span but allowed just four goals in the other 10 matches.
Dallas has suffered back-to-back home defeats in all competitions after losing just one of its previous 11 at home (W8 D2). Dallas have not lost three straight home matches in all competitions since September 2011.
However, recent fixture suggest Dallas hold the advantage. The home side has lost only one of the 11 all-time meetings between the two sides, a 3-2 LAFC win at Toyota Stadium in 2021. The home team has won each of the five meetings between Dallas and LAFC since.
OPTA WIN PROBABILITY
FC Dallas – 28%
Draw – 24.2%
LAFC – 47.8%
LA Galaxy stunned derby rivals Los Angeles FC on Saturday with a superb second-half comeback to seal a 4-2 victory.
They overturned a 2-0 half-time lead with four unanswered goals around Lewis O'Brien's sending-off, becoming the first team in the Western Conference to clinch a playoff spot.
Mateusz Bogusz gambled by peeling away to the back post and was in the right place to head Denis Bouanga's deflected cross into the back of the net after just four minutes.
Just 11 minutes later, Bouanga made another driving run down the left and went for goal himself, drilling a low shot past John McCarthy from a tight angle. They could have had a third before the break, but Olivier Giroud's half-volley struck the inside of the post.
Dejan Joveljic got his first, rifling into the roof of the net after a wonderful turn, and just two minutes later, Edwin Cerrillo scored a stunning goal of his own, beating Hugo Lloris from distance by curling it in off the outside of his boot.
Joveljic's second was opportunistic – he stuck out a leg to help Riqui Puig's strike past a wrong-footed Lloris from just in front of the goal line.
O'Brien was then shown a straight red card for a lunging challenge on Miki Yamane before Puig rounded off the scoring with a whipped effort into the near post.
Data Debrief: Home advantage
To use an old cliche, it was a game of two halves, with LA Galaxy proving just why they are top of the table, and eight points clear of LAFC, in a brilliant second 45 minutes.
However, this is the first time they have won after trailing at half-time in MLS since March 24 against Sporting Kansas City, which they won 3-2, ending a seven-game run.
The Galaxy have now won 11 of their last 12 regular-season matches at Dignity Health Sports Park (D1), including the last nine in a row.
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
