Survive and advance. It’s the phrase that becomes most prominent around this time of year as college basketball gets ready for its yearly NCAA March Madness tournament. A phrase used by Cinderellas and blue bloods alike. A way to say, ‘this may not have been our best performance, we may have faced the jaws of defeat, but in the end, just enough was done to keep the music playing and dancing alive. Last night, LAFC faced such a match. Despite walking into Columbus with a healthy 3-0 lead on aggregate, the home side Crew nearly provided max chaos as Los Angeles had to dig as deep as they could to avoid catastrophe.
Next Stop: @TheChampions Quarterfinals
➡️ We find out our opponent Thursday. pic.twitter.com/XK9rnb6pQJ
— LAFC (@LAFC) March 12, 2025
As expected, Columbus came out firing with unlimited aggression. Being at home definitely provides a boost of energy, but when you also are staring down a three goal deficit, you have to take a lot more risks early on and Crew not only took them, but had them pay off. It took just 10 minutes for Columbus to take the lead at home, doing so with excellent passing and sending bodies into the box as they peppered the goal early on. In the end, it was Jacen Russell-Rowe who got on the end of a Diego Rossi ball into the box, sending it past Lloris and making it nervy for Los Angeles right out the gate.
Jacen Russell-Rowe grabs the early goal for Columbus! 👊#ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/kmdbiGCZU5
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) March 12, 2025
The goal seemed to have shocked LAFC into focusing some more on their defense, as for the majority of the half, it looked like the early goal was all they would concede before resetting during the halftime break. However, Crew were relentless with their pressure and when teams can apply immense pressure and force anxiety, chaos ensues and we got just that near the end of the half when LAFC were called for handball in the box, leading to a penalty kick as the first half wound down. It was former LAFC star, Diego Rossi who stepped up and slotted it home to double the lead for the Crew as the first half ended.
The first half was lethargic from Los Angeles to say the very least. Crew kept most of the possession with 68% of the ball throughout he first 45 and were able to pepper the goal with their 12 shots while LAFC only mustered three for the entire first half. The break couldn’t have come soon enough as it was starting to look real bad for the black & gold.
“I thought it was very clear what was going to happen tonight regarding the lineups and intensity from Columbus” said LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo when speaking to media after the match. “I thought they did their job, they came out in a very good way, got an early goal, got one before the half to make it interesting, so they did their part. We did not do ours.”
The second half mirrored the first half, with Columbus throwing the kitchen sink at Los Angeles, desperate for that third goal to send it into extra time. However, LAFC were able to survive and advance, withstanding the constant pressure and not letting Crew over the line for that third goal. Despite getting dominated the entire match, LAFC got a bit of their lick back when they were finally able to score as time ran out on regulation. An interception into a quick counter saw them 2 v 1 against the Crew defense, with Denis Bouanga on the end of a great pass that he finished calmly, punching LAFC’s ticket to the quarterfinals.
Denis Bouanga strikes for LAFC! 💥#ChampionsCup pic.twitter.com/cA6VwZQjp0
— Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) March 12, 2025
Survive and advance. That’s the name of the game in a tournament like Champions Cup. It wont always be pretty, it wont always be dominant, but the how you win is rarely remembered if you find yourself hoisting the trophy at the end. Big picture, LAFC need to figure out the attack. Being a defensive-minded team is a great philosophy, but unless you plan on getting clean sheets every match here on out, you will need to find the back of the net with some consistency. The team have a few more days to figure it out, before they host Austin FC this weekend.
Thoughts on the match? Leave a comment below!