MLS Decision Day is here! Luckily for LAFC, they have already punched their ticket to the postseason, and have even locked in a top five spot. There was still some seeding to be decided, but coming into the road match against Vancouver Whitecaps, LAFC knew they would finish no higher than second and no lower than fourth in the Western Conference. For the home side, Vancouver have also secured a playoff spot, but currently sitting at sixth, they had the chance to improve positioning with a win over Los Angeles.
📍 Vancouver, Canada pic.twitter.com/ulBthyt5mc
— LAFC (@LAFC) October 22, 2023
It was nearly a vintage half from LAFC. While they didn’t pile on the goals, they did do a great job of controlling the match. Even though Vancouver finished the half with more possession, it was the visitors who were knocking on the door consistently before finally breaking through.
In the 34th minute Golden Boot leader, Denis Bouanga, took on five defenders as he approached the goal, and from outside the box let off a rocket that found its way past the defense, past the goalkeeper, and into the back of the net for the lead. LAFC would take that lead into halftime, as it looked more and more like they would indeed be improving on their position.
The league leader opens the scoring!
Denis Bouanga with his 20th goal of the @MLS Regular Season.📺 Watch live: https://t.co/nCRWL8eoSB pic.twitter.com/k8zJeI2Pkl
— LAFC (@LAFC) October 22, 2023
LA nearly doubled their lead on a beautiful link-up between Bogusz and Timothy Tillman, but the latter couldn’t finish his opportunity. In true sports fashion, the missed opportunity was immediately punished in the 58th minute. Vancouver strung together some gorgeous passing that ended with a strong finish from Ahmed to bring the home side level.
A work of art from @WhitecapsFC. 🎨 pic.twitter.com/2tLnqClmAI
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 22, 2023
The equalizer was enough for Vancouver to see out the point and set up a really intriguing opening round of the postseason. The draw, along with other results on the night, means that LAFC have moved themselves into third place, while Vancouver stay in sixth. This sets us up to see more of this matchup, as these two teams will meet in the opening round of the playoffs in the best-of-three series. Luckily for the black & gold, they did enough to secure homefield. but with how close these two sides have played each other this season, this is sure to be a wild and exciting opening round of the 2023 MLS Playoffs.
Thoughts on the draw? Leave a comment below!