LAFC does enough to get past Atlanta

It wasn’t the prettiest of matches, but a win is still a win for LAFC.

Coming into Sunday evening’s matchup with Atlanta United, LAFC was on a four match winning streak, and they weren’t just winning games, they were scoring goals at will, as they scored a total of 15 goals during this run, and the two players who were responsible for the offensive outburst, Denis Bouanga and Son-Heung Min, had established themselves as one of MLS’ most dangerous scoring tandems.

On Sunday however, Atlanta came out determined not to let Bouanga and Son wreak havoc at their expense. Atlanta went with a five-man backline, packed in its half the field and despite conceding most of the possession and shot attempts, did its best to slow down LAFC’s increasingly potent offense, and for 85 minutes, it seemed to work, as the match was scoreless and Atlanta seemed poised to get out of BMO Stadium with at least a point. However, LAFC still found a way to get the result it needed, as Bouanga’s late second-half strike carried LAFC to the 1-0 win.

“This sport can be funny,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “These games usually end in a tie. Earlier on in the season, we lost these games to Austin at home on a set piece. To Portland. To Vancouver. To San Diego, where you are completely dominant in xG, in shots, in possession, in moments in front of the opponent’s goal and you’ve lost them. And tonight we won. That is a very good sign.”

Aside from winning LAFC’s fifth straight match, Bouanga’s goal against Atlanta also marked a personal milestone, as it was his 99th career goal in an LAFC shirt, ironic considering Bouanga wears jersey number 99. The goal, and the result it delivered still carried an important team significance for LAFC (16-7-8, 56 points) as the result ensures that it will finish no lower than fourth place in the Western Conference, thus guaranteeing them home field advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

“It was a good test for us,” LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead said. “That’s gonna be what playoff football looks like here. Teams sitting back like that, trying to make it difficult to break down and catch you on a counterattack. Those games are hard, especially when a team like Atlanta hasn’t done that all season. What we prepared on video is not the way they showed up. They haven’t defended like that all season. They haven’t played that hard all season, which is good.”

The moment for LAFC finally came in the 86th minute. Mark Delgado sent a ball into the penalty area, Atlanta United defender Enea Mihaj cut off the delivery by heading a ball high in the air, but the ball instead continued into the six-yard box and it turned out to be a sitter for Bouanga, as he came in from the right side and slotted a right-footed shot past keeper Jayden Hibbert near post to finally give LAFC the breakthrough.

LAFC will have a chance to climb up further in the West standings, as they host Toronto FC on Wednesday night.