This week, the stars have aligned across Los Angeles’ sporting scene.
Things were no different for LAFC in their Round One Best-of-3 Series opener Sunday evening, cruising past Vancouver Whitecaps FC to kickstart their bid for a third straight MLS Cup presented by Audi appearance.
“I was quite happy with the performance,” head coach Steve Cherundolo said after the 2-1 win. “I think the guys did enough to win the first game of a three-game series, and nothing more.”
Cherundolo’s team, who entered the night riding a six-match winning streak across all competitions, were tasked with containing the red-hot Whitecaps fresh off a 5-0 Wild Card win in Portland. A back-and-forth start was alleviated when Denis Bouanga opened the scoring from the penalty spot after half an hour.
Cristian Olivera doubled the advantage shortly after halftime, providing the finishing touch on a wonderful 20-pass sequence from LAFC, blasting the ball in at the near post to send the home supporters into raptures.
Vancouver’s Ryan Gauld scored a late consolation goal, but it proved too little, too late, and the Whitecaps had to settle for a loss in Game 1 of the series.
“It’s definitely a job's-not-done mentality,” said LAFC defender Aaron Long, who started the match as captain. “We have one more game, potentially two more games. But I think a lot of us weren't happy giving up that goal late as well.”
“We want to finish that in a professional manner and end the game 2-0, even if it doesn't carry over on aggregate," Long continued. "At least as a defender, that subdued me a tiny bit. But we'll look at the film again, a great win at home, and on to the next one.”
El Rey returns
While Long started the match with the armband on, he didn’t finish with it. Up two goals late in the second half, Cherundolo introduced the man indisputably most synonymous with LAFC – Carlos Vela, who made his first appearance since MLS Cup 323 days ago. After spending most of this season as a free agent, Vela re-signed with LAFC in mid-September, but did not appear until this point.
While Vela's impact on the field was limited to a less than 10-minute cameo, his impact could be felt in the stands from the moment he stepped on the field. The crowd at BMO Stadium erupted with his introduction, signifying the impact he’s had with LAFC since their inception.
“It's moments like that are why we go and fill stadiums and enjoy professional sports,” Cherundolo said. “There's always a personal and emotional side to this, and Carlos has been an amazing figure and amazing player for this club. He's also very well-liked in the locker room, as you can see, so it's a great moment for him."
“Carlos is a very important element to the team,” Bouanga added. “Everybody was happy to have him on the field, the players, the stadium, you could hear the stadium. He has many qualities that we know that he brings to the team… I want to play with Carlos and win with Carlos.”
Next up
LAFC have to wait a week before Game 2 next Sunday in Vancouver, though with their offense clicking, things are trending in the right direction.
Given the excitement surrounding LA sports at the moment, including a 5-0 win from Western Conference rival Galaxy in their Game 1 matchup, Cherundolo’s team faces a high bar.
"The performance is not enough, but we got the result so that's the most important thing," goalkeeper Hugo Lloris told MLS Season Pass post-game. "I think we need to increase our level if we want to have a mission. A win is a win, so that's positive."
"If we want to have a mission in this MLS Cup [playoffs], we need to do even better," Lloris added. "But I believe. We can do it. We need to realize that a game like tonight, we didn't feel safe until the end. So we have to do better."
