LOS ANGELES -- Money talks. For those willing to listen, any controversy can be reasoned away with enough cash. And $10 million is usually enough.
On Saturday night, LAFC hosted Club América in what was likely the single most lucrative soccer game in North American history. And after a 2-1 victory, it’s LAFC who’ve hit the jackpot.
By winning, LAFC is off to the Club World Cup, where they’re guaranteed $9.55 million just for being there. Should they go on a deep run, that figure could reach nearly $100 million.
The last of 32 teams to qualify, LAFC will slot into Group D alongside Chelsea, Flamengo, and ES Tunis. With just two weeks to go before kick off, the stage is finally set for what FIFA promises to be the greatest club competition in history.
But what took them so long? Well, that’s where the controversy comes in.
Six months ago, when the groups were first drawn, neither América nor LAFC were even in contention. That’s when Costa Rican side Alajuelense decided to shake things up.
FIFA’s multi-club ownership rules mean that only one club per ownership group can participate in the Club World Cup. With C.F. Pachuca and Club León both qualified and having the same ownership group (Grupo Pachuca), Alajuelense felt they had lost out. Under CONCACAF’s ranking path, they were next in line.
Or so they thought.
What ensued was a legal and bureaucratic saga that saw Club León removed from the tournament (why them instead of Pachuca is anyone’s guess), while Alajuelense were told they were, in fact, not next in line, despite their bona fide credentials. (Nor were the Philadelphia Union, second after Alajuelense in CONCACAF’s pathway.)
Instead, using arbitrary, after-the-fact criteria that can best be described as tenuous, FIFA decided LAFC and Club América should duke it out.
And wouldn’t you know it, the two CONCACAF teams from the largest markets that failed to qualify, suddenly found themselves knocking on the back door of the Club World Cup.
Between América’s ubiquitous popularity turning LAFC’s home field advantage on its head, the Liga MX & MLS rivalry, and the millions of potential prize money up for grabs, this suddenly became the highest stakes soccer game in North American club history.
And FIFA made sure we knew it.
Pre-game pomp saw the gyroscopic time machine that is the Club World Cup trophy brought out to forced oohs and aahs, while a theme song befitting a Hollywood blockbuster accompanied the unveiling of the tournament’s banner over the center circle.
But as contrived as FIFA’s spectacle may have been, what was at stake was undeniable. And everyone felt it.
Flares ignited with the opening whistle and soon clouds of black and yellow smoke collided on the pitch as noise from the opposing ultras became deafening. But while fans battled for vocal supremacy, it was Club América who asserted themselves on the field.
After a losing to Toluca in the finale of Liga MX last Sunday, América were eager to get out on the front foot, dominating possession and controlling the tempo throughout the first half. LAFC, however, seemed happy to let them do it.
After a bumpy start to their MLS season, LAFC recently found the hard-to-beat form that they’ve become known for under manager Steve Cherundolo. And that’s exactly what they did on Saturday.
Happy to absorb pressure and play on the counter, LAFC looked like a team unfazed by the weight of the moment. Until the 62nd minute.
A reckless challenge by Mark Delgado resulted in a penalty that saw former LAFC winger Brian Rodríguez bury the spot kick.
Soccer has a funny way of making things personal. CONCACAF especially. And when Igor Jesus scored his first professional goal to equalize for LAFC in the 89th minute, it became clear that whichever side lost was going to feel exceptionally aggrieved.
And this time - this one and only time - it was going to be Club América.
Because in the 115th minute, none other than Denis Bouanga made sure it wasn’t going to be him. While his strike may have taken a big deflection, the LAFC talisman’s goal deep in extra time was all his making.
When the final whistle blew, LAFC players stormed the field as if they’d just won a cup. América players collapsed. And FIFA got exactly what they had hoped for: with stakes so high, drama overshadowed controversy.
It’s almost as if it were all by design.
Suddenly, LAFC puts their regular season on pause to go try and win even more millions. Meanwhile, América goes into their off season as if nothing ever happened. Because in some ways, nothing did.
But try telling that to Alajuelense. Or the Philadelphia Union. Or Club León. Or any of the countless fans left to wonder why exactly their club didn’t get a fair shot at the big stage and the big bucks?
Leaving the stadium, one América supporter reacted to the loss by saying “¡me vale verga!”
Maybe he really didn’t “give a fuck”. But money talks.
And $10 million? Well, that swears.