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Defending champs with a statement win at home: LAFC 5, Vancouver Whitecaps 2

LAFC send a statement to the rest of the league with the huge win at home
Trebor TracyBy 4 Mins Read
during a MLS Cup playoff game between Los Angeles FC and Vancouver Whitecaps FC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

The long regular season has officially ended, and the quest for an MLS Cup repeat has begun for LAFC. Tonight, the team host Vancouver Whitecaps in Match One of this year’s newly formatted, best-of-3 series in the first round of the playoffs. With a hard-earned homefield advantage, LAFC will get two of the three matches at home, but can advance by winning the first two matches straight-up. First though, this side will have to get the first win at home against a very tough and very tricky Vancouver side.

The Whitecaps are no strangers to BMO, having already beaten the black & gold at home this season. Which is why the home side needed a great start to the match to establish themselves early. They were able to do just that in the 18th minute. A nice ball into the box via corner kick found a leaping Ryan Hollingshead who got his dome on the ball with enough pace, but was met with a great effort from the keeper. However, the ball bounced right back to the defender who needed the second chance to send LAFC into the lead with an early goal.

Ten minutes later Vancouver answered with some great link-up play. An excellent pass opened up Brian White who got on the end of the ball with plenty of time and space, and curled in a shot past Crepeau for the equalizer.

Mere minutes later LAFC responded in kind. Golden Boot winner, Denis Bouanga, put in work to get past the Vancouver defense just enough to find a sliver of space. He took that sliver and made a banger out of it, re-taking the lead for his side.

The visitors were not going into the halftime break down a goal. On a set piece of their own, the Whitecaps sent in a great ball that found its target. Samuiel Adekugbe jumped higher than anyone else on the pitch, and got just enough of his head on it to send it into the corner, and past the line for their second equalizer of the night, sending us into the halftime break all even at two goals each.

It didn’t take long into the second half before LAFC secured another goal. It was another corner kick that bounced around a bit before landing for Ryan Hollingshead who wasted no time in securing his second goal of the night.

Not wanting the visitors to equalize again, LAFC decided to add a fourth goal to extend their lead. Denis Bouanga did what he has done so often, and got a brace with an excellent effort from long distance that was smashed past the keeper to give LAFC a bit of a cushion as we hit the midway point of the second half.

LAFC put the cherry on top with a late goal from Jesus Murillo who got his head on the set piece ball into the box, slamming it home for the goal, sealing the win at home for Los Angeles.

The goal was the last of the night, as LAFC finished with an emphatic 5-2 win that most certainly served as a statement to the rest of the league, not to sleep on the defending champions. Despite the big win, there is no aggregate, so in the end, LAFC ‘only’ lead 1-0 on the series standings. Now, the team will travel to Vancouver to see about closing out the round, and avoiding a match three.

Thoughts on the win? Leave a comment below!

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