LAFC grinds out series-clinching win over Vancouver

It wasn’t pretty, but LAFC will certainly take it.

In the playoffs, particularly in a best-of-three scenario, the objective is to win. That task was even more pronounced for them as well as the Vancouver Whitecaps on Friday night, as the winner of game three between these two teams would advance to a semifinal matchup with the Seattle Sounders in about two weeks.

For a while, it looked like Vancouver would be that team, but LAFC held firm, and one strike from Mateusz Bogusz combined with the resolve and experience on playing in big matches enabled LAFC to survive this win-or-go-home scenario, as LAFC eliminated the Whitecaps with a 1-0 win at BMO Field.

“It’s a really difficult team to beat and it’s not an easy match up,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said of facing the Whitecaps. “I know on paper it’s 1 against 8 as far as seeds go, but it’s certainly much, much closer than that. They are an excellent team. They are very well organized. They have some good individual players to decide games, but also everybody on the team is committed and hardworking.”

The moment came for LAFC in the 62nd minute. Cherundolo started things off from switching form a 3-4-3 formation to a 4-3-3, and the switch eventually paid off. Keeper Yohei Takaoka cleared a ball out of the penalty area, only to see the ball go to LAFC center back Aaron Long, who immediately headed the ball forward. Vancouver’s Andres Cubas got a header on the ball, but it fell to Bogusz, whose initial touch on the ball allowed him to evade Ranko Veselinović’s challenge to get himself into the penalty area and into shooting position, Bogusz then slotted the left-footed shot past Takaoka far post to give LAFC the lead.

“We changed our system and started playing better,” Bogusz said “That was the point, to win
this game and advance to the next round.”

The first half saw Vancouver control the game. The Whitecaps got its first great chance in the 27th Minute, as Brian White pressured LAFC keeper Hugo Lloris to rush a clearance, The Whitecaps’ Stuart Armstrong touched a ball to Ryan Gauld, who touched to White, and White dribbled towards the top of the penalty area, fired a shot from about 24 yards out, but Loris managed to parry the ball away from goal, and Shane Palencia cleared the ball out of the penalty area. Vancouver’s most dangerous chance however came in the 43rd minute, as Gauld sprung White in the penalty area, Lloris came off his line to contest, White chipped a ball to left, but the shot missed the far post. Vancouver actually did find the back net after falling behind a goal, but a Tristan Blackmon header was called back after Blackmon was clearly offside when the ball fell to his feet.