LAFC loses Leagues Cup final in heartbreaking fashion

, CAlmost there for LAFC.

With its Leagues Cup final matchup against the Columbus Crew tied at a goal apiece, LAFC seemed to be in prime position to win its first major trophy since 2022. After all, LAFC had come back from a one-goal deficit, with that goal coming from Olivier Giroud, which was his first in an LAFC shirt. It looked like the match would head into a shootout, thus giving LAFC a true shot at winning the 2024 Leagues Cup.

However, heartbreak ensued for the Black and Gold. First, Cucho Hernandez, who had already scored towards the end of the first half, added another stoppage time goal, which turned out to be the most important of the match, and that combined with a late strike from Jacen Russell Rowe enabled the Crew to snatch victory from the jaws of potential defeat, as they won the 2024 Leagues Cup with a 3-1 win at Lower.com Field.

“Two moments in the game where we weren’t and they were, that’s the difference,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said.

The loss to Columbus adds to a growing list of tough losses for LAFC against the Crew. In addition to defeating LAFC for the MLS Cup title last December, Columbus also dealt LAFC one its worst losses on its home field a little over a month ago, as the Crew came into BMO Stadium back on July 13 and dealt LAFC a humbling 5-1 loss. Hernandez has especially been the thorn on the side of LAFC, as he has now scored in the two teams’ last three meetings.

Trailing 1-0 early in the second half, LAFC leveled the match in the 57th minute due to it’s latest high profile signing. Mateusz Bogusz sent a corner kick into the penalty area, and Giroud headed the corner just outside of the six-yard box, and it got past keeper Nicholas Hagen far post for Giroud’s first tally as an LAFC player and more importantly, a tied match.

The match went well into stoppage time, but with a shootout looking more likely, the Crew got one last shot and made the most of it. Alexandre Matan threw a ball inbounds to Hernandez, who then sent a ball into the six, Rowe leaped to try to head a ball, and while he did not get to the ball, Rowe’s run might have thrown off LAFC keeper Hugo Lloris, as the ball got past him and into the back net for an unlikely goal for Cucho that put Columbus back in front. Columbus wrapped up the trophy two minutes later, as Cucho led a Crew counterattack, but rather than try for the match trick, Cucho realized that Rowe had the better chance, and so passed to him, Rowe touched into the penalty area, then slotted the shot past Lloris far post to put a bow on the match.

“We lost on details today,” Lloris said.

Cucho’s stoppage time goal was actually not the first time in the match that he had a flair for the dramatic. With the first half heading into stoppage time, the Crew had the ball deep inside LAFC’s side of the field, Sean Zawadski played a ball to Mohamed Farsi inside the penalty area, Farsi then lobbed a ball into the six at the back post area and Cucho swooped in, outjumped Ilie Sanchez to head a ball that got past Lloris far post. So instead of a scoreless draw at halftime that might have benefitted LAFC more, Cucho scored an all-important opening goal at an ideal time for the home side.