LAFC advances to knockout stage of Leagues Cup

Last gasp heroics were on full display as LAFC tied Western Conference rival Vancouver Whitecaps on Tuesday in their second group stage match of the Leagues Cup only to lose 4-2 on penalty kicks. 

The result gave LAFC two points across the first two matches of the Group Stage guaranteeing their advancement to the knockout stage. Vancouver received two points (1 for the draw, 1 for the penalty kicks) and will play against Club Tijuana before knowing their final fate.

The two clubs have become fierce competitors over the last two years having faced each other in four separate tournaments (Leagues Cup, MLS regular season, MLS playoffs, and the CONCACAF Champions Cup). The tenacity of both sides revealed itself across not only the tie, but the 24 fouls and a red card issued to Vancouver’s head coach Vanni Sartini. For 87 minutes, the Whitecaps held a 2-0 lead, but goals from Kei Kamara and Mateusz Bogusz gave LAFC a lifeline and ultimately proved to be enough to push them into the next round of the tournament.

“I think we absolutely fell asleep for the first 20 minutes, collectively. And some more than others, so individually as well. And that's unacceptable,” Steve Cherundolo said afterwards.

Cherundolo’s starting lineup for the first half of the match was a mixture of regulars in the backline alongside supplemental goalkeeper Abraham Romero getting his first minutes of play since appearing in the U.S. Open Cup in May, while Erik Dueñas and Nathan Ordaz joined seasoned starters in the midfield and frontline. 

However, this mixture led to a lack of connectivity and focus allowing for a quick opening goal from Vancouver’s Sebastian Berhalter in the fifth minute. The Whitecaps followed up in the 17th minute with a second goal when LAFC failed to clear a set piece opportunity set in motion by Berhalter that Ranko Veselinović headed in past a stunned Romero. 

The first half ended with a series of failed goal efforts by Cristian Olivera who was looking to continue his streak from a successful match against Club Tijuana on Friday in which he netted 2G, 1A.

As the second half began, Cherundolo brought on Kei Kamara and Eduard Atuesta as reinforcements and then David Martinez for fresh legs. But the host team were simply unable to coalesce and finish any of their four (refresh) on target shots until the 88th minute when Kamara leaped into the air to head an assist from Denís Bouanga faster than the Whitecaps goalkeeper Isaac Boehmer could punch it away.

The resulting goal recharged the deflated LAFC batteries leading to a quick three efforts, followed by a controversial goal granted to Mateusz Bogusz in the final seconds of regulation time that went quickly to video review before being declared onside. Vancouver’s coach Vanni Sartini was ejected for protesting the decision.

As per Leagues Cup rules, in the event of a tie, the two teams went directly to a penalty kick round. LAFC’s Kei Kamara and Mateusz Bogusz (the goal scorers of regulation time) missed their marks while Vancouver landed all theirs. In the end, LAFC took home 1 point keeping them at the top of Group West 7 with 4 points, while the Whitecaps are in second place with 2 points.

The ability to reach down and pull out two goals in the final minutes serves as testimony to the heart of the club, to come from behind and still resurface with the grit required when competing in multiple tournaments with a winning attitude.

“I think it's not just the team, it's the club, and that's really from top to bottom, and it wasn't the first time, and so I really do think it's part of this club's DNA,” Cherundolo said. "And it's very important to never accept a loss and to keep going until it's imminent or it's over, and I love that about this team. 

"We see the same stuff in training if we don't call the guys back, they will scratch and push and poke each other until you know until somebody wins, and they love winning, and that's it's very important, and not to lose, it's important to create a culture, a winning culture, and work on this. All the time without burning guys out at the same time."

LAFC have a break until they face Vancouver again on Aug. 24 on the road in MLS regular-season action.