Defending champion LAFC defeats Houston to return to the MLS Cup final
1 year ago

Defending champion LAFC defeats Houston to return to the MLS Cup final

LA Times  

The longest season in MLS history will continue one more week for LAFC. With Saturday’s 2-0 win over the Houston Dynamo in the MLS Western Conference final, LAFC earned a spot in next weekend’s Cup final with the Columbus Crew, adding a 53rd match to what has already been the league’s most exhausting schedule ever. “Having that willingness, that togetherness has brought us to this point, and having that strong bond pushes us on and to MLS Cup.” Ryan Hollingshead gave LAFC the only goal it needed in the 44th minute, pouncing on the rebound of a Giorgio Chiellini header and drilling it over Houston keeper Steve Clark. So I’m just taking my chances that something’s going to pop out and that’s exactly what happened.” LAFC Ryan Hollingshead, center, celebrates with teammates after scoring in the first half Saturday. LAFC defender Jesus Murillo, top, celebrates with teammates after an own goal by Houston in the second half helped seal LAFC’s Western Conference final win.

Team Right Houston Second Goal Clark Win Mls Cup Mls Cup Final Lafc Vela Defending Champion Hollingshead Maxime Crepeau  cup  mls  goal  return  defending  champion  win  clark  second  final  defeats  vela  lafc  right  team  houston

History of this topic

LAFC’s MLS Cup hopes shattered in loss to Seattle: ‘We beat ourselves’
1 month ago

LAFC’s MLS Cup hopes shattered in loss to Seattle: ‘We beat ourselves’

LA Times  

LAFC forward Denis Bouanga reacts after missing a shot in overtime during a 2-1 loss to the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference semifinals at BMO Stadium on Saturday night. “It’s tough right now, in this moment,” he said after Saturday’s 2-1 extra-time loss to the Seattle Sounders in an MLS Western Conference semifinal at a sold-out BMO Stadium. We’re …

LAFC weathers shaky start to beat Vancouver in MLS Cup playoff opener
1 month, 3 weeks ago

LAFC weathers shaky start to beat Vancouver in MLS Cup playoff opener

LA Times  

LAFC forward Cristian Olivera, right, celebrates with midfielders Lewis O’Brien, left, and Mateusz Bogusz after scoring in the second half Sunday during a 2-1 win over Vancouver at BMO Stadium. But all that became moot when a video replay convinced referee Jair Marrufo that Vancouver defender Tristan Blackmon had blocked Mateusz Bogusz’s shot with his arm, leading to a penalty …

The road to MLS Cup runs through LAFC and BMO Stadium
2 months ago

The road to MLS Cup runs through LAFC and BMO Stadium

LA Times  

LAFC players embrace and celebrate on the pitch at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday night after defeating the San Jose Earthquakes and scoring enough goals to finish atop the Western Conference and clinch home-field advantage in the playoffs. When the dust finally settled the teams were separated, appropriately enough, by a tiebreaker — one that gave LAFC the …

LAFC celebrates finally snapping its finals skid, winning the U.S. Open Cup
2 months, 4 weeks ago

LAFC celebrates finally snapping its finals skid, winning the U.S. Open Cup

LA Times  

LAFC’s Omar Campos celebrates with Sergi Palencia after scoring a goal against Sporting Kansas City during extra time of the U.S. Open Cup final at BMO Stadium on Wednesday. Yet when a massive crimson victory platform was wheeled onto the stadium floor Wednesday night, minutes after LAFC beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 in extra time to win its first U.S. …

LAFC reaches final of Leagues Cup with win over Colorado
4 months ago

LAFC reaches final of Leagues Cup with win over Colorado

LA Times  

LAFC played the most challenging schedule in MLS history last year, a 53-game slog that saw the team play for six trophies. With Wednesday’s 4-0 rout of the Colorado Rapids, LAFC advanced to Sunday’s Leagues Cup final against the Columbus Crew, which beat the Philadelphia Union in the other semifinal. “Our group is looking forward to a rematch and I …

LAFC is surging as the hottest team in MLS. Will it carry the team to another title?
6 months, 1 week ago

LAFC is surging as the hottest team in MLS. Will it carry the team to another title?

LA Times  

Eleven games into this MLS season, LAFC had lost as many games as it had won and had scored as many goals as it had given up. Cherundolo said LAFC’s uneven start was magnified by the team’s success in winning two Western Conference championships, a Supporters’ Shield and an MLS Cup in the last two seasons. “We understand our role …

No Carlos Vela, no problem for LAFC in season-opening win over Seattle
10 months ago

No Carlos Vela, no problem for LAFC in season-opening win over Seattle

LA Times  

When LAFC entered the league in 2018, its first game was against the Sounders in Seattle. LAFC’s latest win came Saturday, with goals from Timothy Tillman and Mateusz Bogusz carrying it to a 2-1 season-opening victory over the Sounders in front of a sun-splashed sellout crowd of more than 22,000 at BMO Stadium. And this one came with a bit …

LAFC has no time to rest after exhausting season as key decisions loom
1 year ago

LAFC has no time to rest after exhausting season as key decisions loom

LA Times  

LAFC’s Mario González and the Columbus Crew’s Rudy Camacho vie to head the ball during the MLS Cup final Saturday in Columbus, Ohio. Saturday’s 2-1 loss to the Crew in the MLS Cup final, which made first-year Columbus coach Wilfried Nancy the first Black manager to win the league title, brought the longest season in league history to an end …

LAFC’s bid for MLS Cup history undone by disastrous stretch in loss to Columbus
1 year ago

LAFC’s bid for MLS Cup history undone by disastrous stretch in loss to Columbus

LA Times  

Columbus Crew star Christian Ramírez holds up the MLS Cup trophy while celebrating with teammates after a 2-1 win over LAFC in the MLS final on Saturday. LAFC entered Saturday’s MLS Cup final 90 minutes from history. I don’t think any other teams has done what we’ve done,” said LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, whose team was trying to become the …

‘We faced a lot of adversity’: How LAFC made the MLS Cup final
1 year ago

‘We faced a lot of adversity’: How LAFC made the MLS Cup final

LA Times  

LAFC midfielder Ryan Hollingshead, center, celebrates his goal with teammates during the first half of the MLS Western Conference final on Saturday at BMO Stadium. Still ahead is Saturday’s MLS Cup final in Columbus, Ohio, where LAFC has a chance to become the first team to win back-to-back league titles in more than a decade. So there’s a moment where …

LAFC makes Denis Bouanga’s goal stand up in 1-0 semifinal victory over Seattle
1 year ago

LAFC makes Denis Bouanga’s goal stand up in 1-0 semifinal victory over Seattle

LA Times  

Seattle forward Jordan Morris, left, and LAFC defender Giorgio Chiellini vie for the ball during the first half. But at the end of the night, the streak that mattered most belonged to Denis Bouanga, whose goal in the 30th minute gave him a score in eight straight games and proved the difference in LAFC’s 1-0 victory, one that sent the …

LAFC confident late-season slump won’t derail its MLS title aspirations
1 year, 1 month ago

LAFC confident late-season slump won’t derail its MLS title aspirations

LA Times  

LAFC midfielder Ryan Hollingshead, top right, celebrates with teammates after scoring in a playoff win over Vancouver on Oct. 28. LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo was asked Friday for one word to sum up the year that has passed since his team’s triumph in the MLS Cup final. Last season LAFC hit a late skid in which it won only once …

LAFC’s CONCACAF Champions League title dreams shattered in loss to León
1 year, 6 months ago

LAFC’s CONCACAF Champions League title dreams shattered in loss to León

LA Times  

LAFC defender Jesús Murillo heads the ball in front of León midfielder Lucas Di Yorio during the first half of the CONCACAF Champions League final at BMO Stadium on Sunday night. But LAFC let the biggest prize slip through its hands Sunday, losing to León 1-0 at BMO Stadium in the CONCACAF Champions League final, the region’s most important club …

LAFC is pushing to defy history and earn rare CONCACAF Champions League win over Léon
1 year, 6 months ago

LAFC is pushing to defy history and earn rare CONCACAF Champions League win over Léon

LA Times  

LAFC’s Carlos Vela celebrates his goal against Alajuelense with Giorgio Chiellini and Jesús Murillo during a CONCACAF Champions League match March 15 at BMO Stadium. And though LAFC has proved to be the best team in MLS over the last two seasons — “probably the best team in our league’s history,” Philadelphia Union coach Jim Curtin said — playing a …

For LAFC founding owner Peter Guber, MLS Cup journey carries special significance
1 year, 9 months ago

For LAFC founding owner Peter Guber, MLS Cup journey carries special significance

LA Times  

LAFC players accept their MLS Cup championship rings before the team’s 3-2 season-opening win over the Portland Timbers at BMO Stadium on Saturday. A banner celebrating LAFC’s 2022 MLS Cup championship is unveiled at BMO Stadium before Saturday’s win over Portland. That’s what makes this one interesting because they mean different things to different people.” This last journey means something …

LAFC reloads roster as it prepares to chase more trophies than any other MLS team
1 year, 11 months ago

LAFC reloads roster as it prepares to chase more trophies than any other MLS team

LA Times  

LAFC players celebrate winning the MLS Cup against the Philadelphia Union at Banc of California on Nov. 5. With LAFC’s MLS Cup win last November, he has done all three while adding a pair of Supporters’ Shields along the way. “We’ll have more tournaments, more chances to win trophies, so we’ll prepare to get more.” In fact, no MLS team …

LAFC claims 1st MLS Cup title with shootout win over Union
2 years, 1 month ago

LAFC claims 1st MLS Cup title with shootout win over Union

Associated Press  

LOS ANGELES — A weary Carlos Vela reluctantly checked out of the MLS Cup final in the 97th minute, giving way to Gareth Bale in a tense 2-2 game. “And then we finish with a Hollywood movie.” Bale tied the score 3-3 on a dramatic header in the eighth minute of extra-time stoppage time, backup goalkeeper John McCarthy stopped two …

LAFC defeats Philadelphia on penalty kicks to win MLS Cup title in thriller
2 years, 1 month ago

LAFC defeats Philadelphia on penalty kicks to win MLS Cup title in thriller

LA Times  

LAFC players celebrate after defeating the Philadelphia Union to win the MLS Cup at Banc of California Stadium on Saturday. A dream hatched eight years ago in a dark, stuffy film studio on Sunset Boulevard became reality Saturday in the late afternoon shadows at Banc of California Stadium, where LAFC won its first MLS Cup in the most improbable way, …

LAFC's win over Philadelphia Union comes in greatest MLS Cup final
2 years, 1 month ago

LAFC's win over Philadelphia Union comes in greatest MLS Cup final

LA Times  

LAFC’s Carlos Vela rejoices after the team’s win on penalty kicks over the Philadelphia Union in the MLS Cup final Saturday at Banc of California Stadium. “It was like a Halloween movie,” Vela said, “and then we finished with a Hollywood movie.” Whatever LAFC’s owners believed was possible when they launched their franchise, whatever Carlos Vela had in mind when …

How LAFC went from missing the playoffs to playing for the MLS Cup in one season
2 years, 1 month ago

How LAFC went from missing the playoffs to playing for the MLS Cup in one season

LA Times  

LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo watches at forward Carlos Vela during the first half of an MLS playoff match against the Galaxy on Oct. 20 at Banc of California Stadium. “He’s implemented his systems and his tactics and I think, as a group, we bought into it.” So while John Thorrington had what one rival called the best year of any …

LAFC defeats Portland to clinch its second Supporters’ Shield in four years
2 years, 2 months ago

LAFC defeats Portland to clinch its second Supporters’ Shield in four years

LA Times  

Highlights from LAFC’s 2-1 win over the Portland Timbers on Sunday. Denis Bouanga scored his first Major League Soccer goal in stoppage time and LAFC clinched the Supporters’ Shield with a 2-1 victory over the Portland Timbers on Sunday. It is LAFC’s second Supporters’ Shield in four years. Video review determined that a late foul by Portland’s Claudio Bravo did …

El Tráfico takes a new turn with Galaxy and LAFC meeting in U.S. Open Cup
2 years, 7 months ago

El Tráfico takes a new turn with Galaxy and LAFC meeting in U.S. Open Cup

LA Times  

Galaxy’s Sega Coulibaly, left, and Julian Araujo, right, control the ball against LAFC’s Kellyn Acosta at Dignity Health Sports Park on April 9. “All my teammates, coaching staff, know that no matter if it’s in the league, or Open Cup or a friendly, these kinds of games special,” LAFC midfielder Ilie Sánchez said. The teams have gone in different directions …

Soccer newsletter: LAFC can’t seem to get the job done
4 years, 4 months ago

Soccer newsletter: LAFC can’t seem to get the job done

LA Times  

Hello, and welcome to another edition of the L.A. Times soccer newsletter. That is a fact and that is a task we have to fulfill.” Bundesliga Champion: Bayern Munich Domestic Cup winner: Bayern Munich Champions League group stage: Bayern Munich, Borussia Dortmund, RB Leipzig, Borussia Monchengladbach Europa League: Bayer Leverkusen, Hoffenheim European League qualification: Wolfsburg Relegated: Dusseldorf, Paderborn Promoted for …

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