LAFC’s 2024 season will continue after a chess match against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Los Angeles on Friday night. It was Poland international Mateusz Bogusz who played the hero with his second-half goal to put L.A. ahead for good in the 1-0 win in Game 3 of the best-of-three series to open the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Denis Bouanga, who scored 20 goals in the regular season for LAFC, had a goal-scoring opportunity hit the side-netting in the eighth minute as the hosts looked to pounce early. Despite coming in with all the momentum in their favor after their 3-0 win in Game 2, the Whitecaps were unable to find the net throughout a mostly dominant first half. Brian White had one great shot denied by Hugo Lloris, then went wide left on a second just before halftime.
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo then changed course in the second half with a new formation and inserted Olivier Giroud, who made an immediate impact. But it wasn’t until the 62nd minute when Bogusz was able to put the Black and Gold ahead and eventually into the second round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
LAFC will now face the Seattle Sounders, who advanced after two straight wins over the Houston Dynamo, in the single-elimination Western Conference semifinals on the weekend of Nov. 23-24.
Most of the chatter around the first round of the MLS Cup Playoffs has been in direct opposition to the best-of-three format, but with three more elimination games Saturday it’s tough to say it isn’t yielding plenty of excitement.
Here’s how the match unfolded in real time:
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5 minutes of stoppage time added
The Black and Gold appear to be headed into the second round of the playoffs unless the Whitecaps can find the equalizer.
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74′
Blackmon heads it into the goal off a set piece, but was way offsides.
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67′ SUBSTITUTION
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62′ GOAL for Mateusz Bogusz
Aaron Long set up Bogusz nicely and the Polish international perfectly places it into the net.
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57′
Giroud and Bouanga nearly connect on another opportunity, this time with Giroud on the receiving end of a pass into the box. He misses and Vancouver is getting antsy.
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54′
Giroud, who came in at the half, nearly makes his mark on the game with a dime to Bouanga, but Bouanga misses out on a score by mere inches.
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51′
O’Brien attempts what would have been an epic bicycle-kick goal, but is denied by White.
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47′
Down goes Bouanga inside the box after a shove from Berhalter! The ref doesn’t bite and instead awards Vancouver a goal kick.
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SUBSTITUTION
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HALFTIME: LAFC 0-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver seems to have all the momentum after their 3-0 destruction of LAFC in Game 2. In this highly competitive chess match, LAFC is losing the possession battle (62% to 38%) and has taken just 2 shots with 0 on target to Vancouver’s 7 with 1 on goal.
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43′
Gauld gets one through to an open White who wastes a perfect opportunity with a shot wide left.
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40′
After an explosive run, Hollingshead puts in a great cross to Palencia inside the box. Palencia fired off a shot, but it was blocked by a wall of Whitecaps defenders.
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