LAFC blanks Houston to win MLS Western Conference final
The Black & Gold have earned the right to make a second MLS Cup appearance.
LOS ANGELES — For the second consecutive season, the Los Angeles Football Club has earned the right to compete for an MLS Cup.
The defending Major League Soccer champions topped the Houston Dynamo 2-0 at BMO Stadium on Saturday, capturing back-to-back Western Conference titles at home over Texas teams.
Defender Ryan Hollingshead connected on the game winner in the 44th minute. Then Houston suffered an own goal late in the second half when defender Franco Escobar, a member of last season’s championship team, knocked it into his net, sealing the result.
LAFC dropped both regular season matches against Houston, but like last season (losing twice to Austin FC before meeting in the conference final), Steve Cherundolo’s group stepped up when it mattered most.
“Very proud of what we’ve been able to accomplish over the last two years,” Cherundolo said. “Very proud of players who have been mentally through a lot this year. It is a special group and tonight they were able to reward themselves.”
The second-year LAFC head coach improved to 7-0 in the postseason, assuring his side maintained a streak of never losing consecutive games to the same team at home.
Houston was fortunate not to fall behind earlier than it did considering LAFC’s intense pressing in the final third searching for turnovers.
Two minutes following a delayed start because smoke from the supporters’ section blanketed BMO Stadium, team captain Carlos Vela received the ball at the penalty spot. But an attempt with the outside of his superlative left foot just sailed over the crossbar.
Out of contract at the conclusion of the year and playing in perhaps his final home game with LAFC, Vela operated with vigor until he was substituted off in the 77th minute, receiving a standing ovation as his name was chanted around the stadium.
LAFC did well to disrupt Houston’s fluid and dangerous midfield — a focus of the team’s preparation during the week as it sought to limit Herrera and his teammates — despite the visitors holding more than 70% possession.
Referee Victor Rivas allowed both teams room to play through what on another day could have been called fouls throughout the rest of the opening half, prompting LAFC fans to chant invectives his way when a pair of Houston defenders grabbed and held Denis Bouanga as he made a barnstorming run toward the Houston net near the 40th minute.
The star forward did not score for the first time in six matches, but his relentless energy kept Houston defenders occupied as LAFC’s contingent of offensive threats constantly threatened the Dynamo.
Moments before Hollingshead’s opportune goal, LAFC winger Cristian Olivera nearly netted one when he buzzed an impossibly angled shot just over the bar.
The go-ahead goal came when Vela floated a corner kick toward center back Giorgio Chiellini. The 39-year-old Italian, jousting with Houston’s Hector Herrera in the six-yard box, headed a shot down in front of goalkeeper Steve Clark. His redirected save was pounced on by the 2023 MLS All-Star fullback.
Hollingshead, a former UCLA Bruin, roofed it, giving LAFC what it wanted: the first goal.
In all competitions this year, LAFC is 22-1-4 when jumping ahead. Versus MLS foes, they are unbeaten in that scenario, going 16-0-3.
A third straight clean sheet by LAFC featured five saves by Maxime Crepeau, who last week stood on his head to make a 1-0 lead hold up in Seattle.
“I feel like there’s sparks in the air and there’s something special when we do play at home,” said Crepeau, who fell victim to a famous broken leg in last year’s final win against Philadelphia. “Obviously our supporters bring it and we can sense that. It gives us an extra boost. Extra edge that we love to sense and feel.”
An announced crowd of 22,221 watched the match.
Next weekend’s championship match is the third final for LAFC in 2023, having fallen short in both the CONCACAF Champions League against Club León and the Campeones Cup versus Tigres UANL.
One last chance to lift a trophy in 2023, featuring a league record 53 games played in all competitions for LAFC, is an all Black & Gold final on Dec. 9 in Ohio against the Columbus Crew, which advanced past Supporters’ Shield winners FC Cincinnati 3-2 in the Eastern Conference final thanks to goals from former LAFC attackers Diego Rossi and Christian Ramirez.
Like LAFC, Columbus’s path to the MLS Cup comes as a No. 3 seed. Among the 10 original teams during the MLS inaugural season of 1996, Columbus is in search of a third league championship after wins in 2008 and 2020.
“Pretty strong team in Columbus,” Cherundolo said. “They know how to score goals. Find dangerous areas. Get in behind, as well. We definitely have our hands full. But I think they’d say many of the same things about us.”