An indescribable MLS Cup ended with LAFC showing calm nerves on penalty kicks, with Ilie Sánchez ending an indisputable classic from the penalty spot after an astounding 3-3 extra time draw between his side and the Philadelphia Union.
An unreal spectacle featuring everything good and bad about MLS stomped on the gas pedal at the opening kick and never let up. MLS Cups of the past have been dramatic, with the very first final memorably being decided on a golden goal from Eddie Pope back in 1996, but they’ve never been like this.
LAFC took two leads on set piece goals, only for the Union to reply each time with a dead ball goal of their own. The Union, deep in to stoppage time in extra time, thought they had a winner, only for Gareth Bale — of course! — to head home an even later goal to send a 3-3 epic to penalties. From there, former Union goalkeeper John McCarthy, who was only in the game due to an injury to Maxime Crépeau, saved two Philadelphia penalties to lead LAFC to their first-ever MLS Cup victory.
The Union wanted and got the frenetic sort of game they enjoy, but LAFC had the better of the exchanges, taking the lead in the 28th minute. An ill-advised foul from José Martínez gave LAFC a free kick from a great location, 24 yards from goal.
Philadelphia prepared for a Carlos Vela left-footer, but Acosta stepped up instead from the other side, firing a shot that Jack McGlynn — who started over Alejandro Bedoya due to the veteran’s questionable status after an injury — could only glance past the wrongfooted Andre Blake.
For Acosta, the goal comes at a perfect moment. It will probably help media members figure out what team he actually plays for, but this final was also his final game to make his case for a U.S. men’s national team spot to Gregg Berhalter before the World Cup roster reveal next week.
A free kick in a similar spot came 10 minutes later, but this time the Union wall did its job, blocking Cristian “Chicho” Arango’s initial shot. Vela floated the rebound to Diego Palacios, but the Ecuadorian defender’s angled shot was spectacularly saved by Blake, keeping the Union in the game.
Fittingly for a series in which the last six leads have all been answered with an equalizer, the Union pulled level on a set piece of their own. Martínez, after LAFC had half-cleared the initial service, scuffed a 58th minute shot from over 30 yards out.
It wasn’t a good hit, but it rolled straight to Dániel Gazdag, who was kept onside by Palacios and easily finished past Crépeau.
Set pieces remained the order of the day. With the Union tightening the screws, LAFC had barely mounted an attack in a 10-minute span only to take a stunning 83rd minute lead. Vela’s corner found Jesús Murillo — who had escaped Martínez to get wide open — for a free header at the near post, and the center back sent a bullet past Blake.
Save for a large, blue-clad contingent in the upper decks, Banc of California Stadium was in full party mode, but their celebrations were cut short. Two minutes later, the Union won a free kick deep on the left flank, and Kai Wagner’s service to the near post was driven into a perfect location.
LAFC’s marking scheme somehow completely left the six-foot-six Jack Elliott unaccounted for, and the tallest field player in the game strode forward to head past Crépeau.
LAFC brought in some rarely-used big names for extra time, with Bale entering for Vela shortly after Cristian Tello had replaced Acosta. While Bale is the bigger star, Tello was more immediately influential, with Blake making a huge save to deny his long-range shot.
A wild game took a deeply unfortunate turn in the 109th minute. An under-hit back pass from LAFC gave Cory Burke a potential one-on-one with Crépeau, who raced off his line hoping to save the day. The players collided outside the box, with Crépeau missing the ball, clipping Burke, and being apparently badly injured in the process.
Referee Ismail Elfath initially gave him a yellow card for the foul, but as Crépeau was stretchered off to receive further medical attention, the card’s color was changed to red for a denial of an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Burke would also need a substitution after trying to play through it, and Elfath had to give nine minutes of stoppage time after the lengthy break. That’s not a lot of time, except in a game like this, where it was time for both teams to score.
Four minutes into stoppage time, Wagner bent a corner in, and LAFC half-cleared…and half-cleared…and half-cleared again. Bale tried to acrobatically get the ball away, but ultimately Wagner got another chance to cross. He found Julián Carranza, and though his shot didn’t get through, Elliott was there to sweep home on the line, stunning Banc of California Stadium.
Elliott had broken an MLS record that his center back partner Jakob Glesnes had only set last year, when the Union eliminated the New York Red Bulls. The Union were just minutes from their first MLS Cup.
And yet.
Four minutes later, LAFC broke that record again, with Bale — who had barely even gotten a touch beforehand — soaring up to beat Elliott to a Palacios cross, as the 10-man home side conjured up a goal 128 minutes into MLS Cup.
In penalties, as much as the game had been even, only one team was ready for the moment. LAFC recovered from Tello’s opening attempt being saved to convert their next three attempts, while the Union disintegrated. Gazdag slipped, firing over, while Martínez and Wagner both had rather meek shots denied by the confident McCarthy.
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