Vancouver gives LAFC a rude welcome in return to MLS play

Coming off going three and out in the FIFA Club World Cup, LAFC looked to carry the experience of playing in a high-stakes tournament against some of the top clubs in the world back into MLS play starting with Sunday evening’s match against the Vancouver Whitecaps.

So far, LAFC is not off to a good start. One strike from Emmanuel Sabbi was all Vancouver needed, as that goal along with a stingy defensive effort enabled the second-place Whitecaps to come out of BMO Stadium with the 1-0 win.

 The loss snaps a nine-match unbeaten streak for LAFC, which also puts them in a three-way tie for the seventh spot in the Western Conference. The saving grace for LAFC is that they are just four points out of fourth place in the west and eight points back of third, and have a handful of matches in hand due to its participation in the Club World Cup.

Vancouver jumped ahead in the 20th minute. Sabbi chipped a ball over the LAFC defense, Jeevan Badwal chased the ball down the left side, stopped, played a ball back to Sabbi inside the penalty area, Sabbi brought the ball down, then fired a right-footed shot just inside the six-yard box that beat keeper David Ochoa far post.

LAFC had some chances to pull even, getting 15 shots, with four of them at goal. The closest LAFC came to tying the match came in the 71st minute, as Timothy Tillman played Shane Palencia into the penalty area, Palencia played a ball into the six, the cross was deflected twice until it fell to the feet of Ryan Hollingshead, who chested the ball down, then fired a left-footed shot at goal, only to see the ball bounce off the near post.

Sunday’s match also marked the final game in an LAFC shirt for Olivier Giroud. The World Cup-winning French Striker is expected to return home to France to join with Ligue One side Lille. Giroud did his best to end his tenure with LAFC on top, as he had two chances to find the back net, the first coming in the 17th minute, as he one-timed a left-footed shot from about 25 yards out that just sailed over the crossbar, and the second chance coming in the 50th minute, as Denis Bouanga crossed into the penalty area, Giroud got behind the Whitecaps defense and one-timed a right-footed volley for the upper corner at the far post, but went wide right.