LAFC stays alive in West race with win over St. Louis

Heading into the final month of the regular season, LAFC is not done in the Western Conference race by any stretch.

With its archrival LA Galaxy rallying to defeat Colorado earlier in the evening, LAFC knew anything short of a win against St, Louis City SC would do them no good. While St. Louis made them work, LAFC still got the result it need, and it came from a familiar source, as Denis Bouanga’s first half goal stood at the end of 90 minutes, and LAFC came out victorious 1-0 at BMO Stadium.

The result keeps LAFC (16-8-7, 55 points) within striking distance of the Galaxy for the top spot in the West, and LAFC has a game in hand. The result does gave LAFC sole possession of second place, two points ahead of both Real Salt Lake and the Seattle Sounders.

“It was a good first half,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “We played in a controlled manner, didn’t concede anything at all and had plenty of chances and opportunities to put the game away, but we were a little sloppy in the final third with our chances and movements with the ball that could have become big chances that didn’t’.”

Olivier Giroud touched a ball to Mateusz Bogusz, who then touched a ball to Bouanga on the left side. Bouanga dribbled in and out of the penalty area looking for a sightline, and once he saw what he was looking for, uncorked a rare right-footed volley that beat flat-footed keeper Benjamin Lundt into the back net.

“It’s honor to play 100 matches with LAFC and play 67 goals.,” Bouanga said. “I wish to score more goals. I wish to score more goals and hopefully get the back-to-back Golden Boot award.”

Not that that Bouanga goal was LAFC’s chance to score a goal. LAFC buzzed around the St. Louis penalty area through the first half, and thought that should have been going to the penalty spot in the 36th minute, as Ryan Hollingshead played Bogusz into the penalty area, Bogusz took the shot, the ball went off the hand area of Jake Nerwinski and out of play for an LAFC corner kick, LAFC pleaded for the penalty, and referee Victor Rivas did consult VAR, but the final decision was a corner for LAFC.

LAFC did find the back net in the second half, but was called back in rather controversial fashion. It happened in the 55th minute, and it started when Timothy Tillman played a ball towards Bouanga, the ball went through Bouanga and to Giroud, who deked Lundt and sent the ball into the back net. The goal however was waived off due to offside, and while replay appeared to show no LAFC players offside, after a lengthy delay, the offside call stood.

LAFC caps off a busy two-week stretch with a Saturday match on the road against Sporting Kansas City in a rematch of last Wednesday’s US Open Cup Final.