It was back home for LAFC in the second match of the back-to-back against Houston Dynamo. The first match just a few days ago didn’t go well for the black & gold who suffered their biggest loss of the season, 4-0. The quick turnaround was welcome this time, with the team looking for some vengeance as they also look to shake out of their current slump, with a win at home.
Forever a champion. 🖤💛
Welcome back, @francoeescobar. pic.twitter.com/ZbdNhcCWtA
— LAFC (@LAFC) June 15, 2023
The match started well enough for LAFC, who seemed to understand the need to finding the back of the net early, and first. It looked like the team nearly took the lead in the early stages, but a pesky offside flag ruled the goal off. In a show of just how cruel this sport can be, after missing out on the lead, the team conceded just minutes later. Houston Dynamo snatched the lead in the 23rd minute with a free kick opportunity. The initial shot towards goal was sent away by LAFC goalkeeper, John McCarthy, but Houston defender Micael was there to tap in the rebound for the lead.
.@HoustonDynamo off the set piece, and it’s Micael to tap home for the lead in LA. pic.twitter.com/hbDOAYZVRJ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) June 15, 2023
The goal drought continued for LAFC, as they could only muster five shots, with just one finding the target in the first half. The visitors only found target twice, but made the most of their opportunities. If Los Angeles was going to save a result at home, they would need to flip the switch and start playing the way we were all accustomed to.
Things only got worse for the home side in the 79th minute, when LAFC forward Mahala Opoku put on a poorly timed tackle on a Houston player, and was shown a red card as a result of it. Now, LAFC was not only down a goal, but down a player on top of that. The black & gold failed to get a shot on goal in the second half, which further speaks to just how bad this slump is for Los Angeles.
The loss pushes their winless run to six matches, and the shutout tonight makes it four matches in a row where the team failed to find the back of the net. The next match for LAFC will be this weekend, when they head back out on the road, taking on a Sporting KC side that always gives them trouble. If this side wants to avoid digging a deeper hole, they will need to start getting back some points. With matches stacking up again, things can go from bad to worse in an instant, let’s hope that isn’t the case.
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