Seven months after that memorable MLS final won at home, the LAFC this time around couldn’t find the football or magic for another miraculous comeback in Los Angeles. Club León from the Mexican league surpassed him in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions League and with a 1-0 away score (3-1 aggregate score) was crowned. monarch of the confederation for the first time in its history.
Nicholas Larcamon’s emerald team, who finished sixth in the last Liga MX tournament, carefully and disciplinedly disarmed the reigning MLS champion, who had few truly dangerous games. From time to time, shouts of “Ole, ole” from Leon’s fans were heard in BMO Stadium. La Fiera qualified to play in the next FIFA Club World Cup in Saudi Arabia.
The LAFC arrived at the game encouraged by Denis Buanga’s harrowing goal that brought them closer to the scoreboard in the first 90 minutes of the game in León, Guanajuato. But a goal from Argentinian Lucas Di Yorio gave Leon a two-point lead in the overall standings, and it was difficult for Black and Gold to react to an opponent who retreated with the order.
Carlos Vela Disappears in Big Game for LAFC
Mexican Carlos Vela was sent off by substitution in the 63rd minute after a poor performance.. The LAFC captain missed a few passes, couldn’t shoot on goal and generally looked disabled. However, the change in coach Steve Cherundolo was a surprise as it took his team two touchdowns to send the game into overtime.
LAFC, backed by a crowd that never stopped screaming, began to push within 15 minutes of regulation. Consecutive runs by Kwadvo Opoka and Denis Bouang excited fans around the 79th minute, but it all ended with a good intervention from goalkeeper Rodolfo Cota and then a shot that shook the net but went wide of the arc.
The hosts had 10 minutes of extra time to search for the gate. Timothy Tillman’s free header given to Kota could have made the ending interesting.
El Leon put LAFC under control in the first half
La Fiera took the lead in the 20th minute thanks to a good combination that left the defender alone on the right flank. Ivan Moreno, whose diagonal was unsuccessfully finished off by Argentine striker Lucas Di Yorio, but goalkeeper John McCarthy missed deflect the ball to the body when the score is 0-1.
The goal seemed to unsettle the home team and Esmeraldas immediately had two good scoring chances, which they did not convert due to shots from the box that went wide.
Lineups
LAFCStory by: John McCarthy; Jesus Murillo, Diego Palacios, Giorgio Chiellini, Diego Palencia, Aaron Long; Ilie Sanchez, Kellyn Acosta; Carlos Vela, Mateusz Bogush, Denis Buanga. DT: Steve Cherundolo.
Leon FCStory by: Rodolfo Cota; Ivan Moreno, William Tesillo, Adonis Frias; Jaime Barreiro, Fidel Ambriz, Lucas Romero, Elias Hernandez; Victor Davila, Angel Mena, Lucas Di Yorio. DT: Nicolas Larcamon.
The game was played in an unrivaled atmosphere on a beautiful evening at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, where home supporters did their part to help LAFC win their second cup in seven months.
News in development.
Source: La Opinion
Ben Stock is an accomplished sports journalist. He currently works at 24 news breaker, where he has a reputation for providing in-depth analysis and unique perspectives on the latest sports news. He has a keen eye for detail and a deep understanding of the sports industry. With a passion for storytelling, Ben’s writing takes readers closer to the action and the people behind it.