LAFC holds off Columbus in second leg, secures spot in CCC quarterfinals

It wasn’t easy, but LAFC held on.

Going into the second leg of its CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 matchup, LAFC confidently strode into Central Ohio with a three-goal aggregate lead, meaning LAFC surely approached this match with a bend-but-don’t-break mentality.

The Columbus Crew however did everything they could to bend the match to its will, getting first half goals from Jacen Russell-Rowe and Diego Rossi to close the series deficit. LAFC however did not break, as they calmly wilted away the match, then got an insurance goal from Denis Bouanga in stoppage time to seal LAFC’s advancement to the quarterfinals with the 1-2 result.

“Overall, a disappointing night for us,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “”The positives are, you know, at any moment you cane score a goal, that’s something we take, and also we take the result over two games.”

LAFC wins the series 4-2 and thus sets up a potential tantalizing quarterfinal matchup with Inter Miami, provided Lionel Messi’s side can finish the job, as they head into its matchup with Jamaican side Cavalier leading 2-0 on aggregate.

As expected, Columbus came out firing to start the match. The Crew got on the board int he 10th minute, as Rossi dribbled a ball around the right side of the field, first dekeing Ryan Hollingshead on one move, then turned him on a second move. Rossi, the former LAFC forward, crossed into the penalty area and Russell-Rowe one-timed a perfect left-footed volley past keeper Hugo Lloris to get Columbus on the board in the series,

Rossi again came back to haunt his former squad, this time as a goal-scorer. It started in the 43rd minute, as Rossi dribbled forward, played a ball to Russell-Rowe, and Rossi tried to get behind LAFC center back Eddie Segura as Russell-Rowe played a ball towards him, Segura tired to defend Rossi, but he ended up getting his left hand on Rossi’s face, and referee Ivan Barton judged the contact harsh enough to award Columbus the penalty. Rossi converted from the spot in the 44th minute, and it was nervous time on the LAFC sidelines.

LAFC started out the second half on the front foot, getting behind the Crew defense on several occasions and creating some chances, though nothing came out of those chances. Columbus soon resumed its efforts to erase the now-one goal deficit. The Crew’s first chance of the second half came in the 59th minute, as AZ played a perfect ball to Mohamed Farsi, leaving Farsi with just Lloris to beat, Farsi chested the ball down, but some last-minute defending and Lloris closing space forced Farsi to pull the shot wide right. Columbus’ best shot to level the series came in the 66th minute, as Yevhen Cheberko crossed into the penalty area, Russell-Rowe’s header freed up Max Arfsten at the back post, and Arfsten one-timed a shot on goal that surely had Lloris beat, but the LAFC keeper dove to his right, stretched out his right hand and just managed to get enough of the ball to send it back into play, and the Crew’s plea that the ball crossed the goal line fell on deaf ears.

LAFC from that point down wore down the Crew, then got its chance to put the series on ice. Cengiz Under intercepted a pass from Cheberko at near midfield and broke for goal, dribbling forward, Crew defender Sean Zawadzki rushed to defend the unmarked Under, but Bouanga joined the attack, Under played the unmarked Bouanga into the penalty area, then slotted the shot past keeper Pat Schulte far post to seal LAFC’s trip to the quarterfinals.

“We saw a better performance in the second half,” Cherundolo said. “It was much improved by some of the players individually, but also collectively.

LAFC jumps back into MLS play, as they welcome Austin FC to BMO Stadium for a Saturday matinee match.