Terry and Sieb shine as LAFC dominate New York Red Bulls to end winless run

LOS ANGELES -- For the first time in weeks, LAFC did not have to spend the final minutes wondering how another lead was going to disappear.

That alone made Wednesday night feel different.

After watching leads slip away in Salt Lake and enduring three consecutive MLS draws, LAFC finally closed one out, defeating the New York Red Bulls 2-0 at BMO Stadium. The result snapped a six-game league winless streak and gave the Black & Gold their 13th clean sheet of the season, setting a new club record.

More importantly, it showed the kind of defensive response Marc Dos Santos had been looking for.

New York came into the match wanting to combine through the middle and use quick one-twos to work its way into the box. LAFC’s defense largely took that option away, limiting the Red Bulls to eight shots and just one on target.

“We defended that part of the box so well,” Dos Santos said.

The shutout was particularly meaningful after Saturday’s 2-2 draw with Real Salt Lake, when LAFC surrendered another lead and watched two points disappear. Dos Santos admitted that result had lingered with the group, saying there was a “fear of losing” late against New York that caused his team to defend a little deeper than he wanted.

This time, though, LAFC held.

The attack also gave the defense something it had been missing: an early cushion.

Jude Terry opened the scoring in the 21st minute, following up Son Heung-Min’s saved shot and calmly finishing from the edge of the area for his first goal at BMO Stadium. For a 17-year-old who has spent much of the season learning how to make the most of limited opportunities, it was another reminder of the attacking ability Dos Santos sees in him.

Terry has now scored twice this season, but Dos Santos believes the next stage of his development will come on the other side of the ball.

“When he has to track back, when he has to do defensive plays, when he has to win duels, that's the next step for Jude if he wants to become more complete,” Dos Santos said.

Terry said the coaching staff has already made that development a priority.

“I'll just keep going,” he said. “That'll eventually help me as a player and help the team.”

LAFC had chances to put the match away much earlier. Son finished with eight shots, tying his career high in MLS, and Dos Santos felt his team could have gone into halftime with a two- or three-goal advantage.

Instead, the second goal did not arrive until stoppage time.

This time, it came from a player who is still figuring out his place in the team.

Armindo Sieb, making his home debut after entering as a substitute in his second appearance for LAFC, received a pass from Ryan Hollingshead at the top of the box and fired a left-footed shot past a frozen Ethan Horvath. It was Sieb’s first MLS goal and another glimpse of what Dos Santos hopes his squad can become once more of its injured players return.

Igor Jesus entered alongside him in the 60th minute, making his first appearance in more than a year after recovering from a knee injury.

For Jesus, simply getting back onto the field carried more weight than the result.

“It was a very challenging year,” Jesus said. “There's nothing better than being home today, coming back and getting three points.”

Dos Santos immediately noticed the difference. He said LAFC’s possession improved when Jesus entered and described the midfielder at his best as one of the league’s top three players at his position.

The coach knows he cannot rush that process. More players are expected to return, but until then, LAFC has to keep finding ways to collect points with the group available.

“Until there, we have to scratch, to fight together, and get the most results we can,” Dos Santos said.

Wednesday was a step in that direction.

LAFC remains third in the Western Conference at 40 points, and the club now has three consecutive road matches ahead. After spending much of the past month watching opportunities slip away, the team finally has a result it can build on.

For Terry and Sieb, the night offered another glimpse of LAFC’s future. For Jesus, it marked the beginning of a return that could change the team’s ceiling.

And for a defense that had spent the previous match surrendering another winnable game, 90 minutes without conceding may have been the most important development of all.