LAFC got away with one at Estadio Léon
Los Angeles FC will be thanking their lucky stars and John McCarthy after their harrowing first leg of the CONCACAF Champions League final somehow only ended in a 2-1 loss.
Despite being favored more than any other MLS team ever has been in a CCL final, the truth was that Léon will be left baffled by how they let the MLS champions leave Estadio Léon without burying them before the second leg (Sunday June 4, 9:00 p.m. Eastern, FS1/TUDN) even kicked off.
A bright start for Léon could have been ruined by an early injury to Yairo Moreno, but seconds after substituting him, the home side capped off their early industry with an inch-perfect William Tesillo header following a corner kick.
The early goal didn’t so much serve as a wake-up call for LAFC as it did announce that Léon would be bossing this game. McCarthy was under the kind of intense pressure throughout the half that no LAFC goalkeeper has ever experienced in the club’s short history.
Still, it seemed they might hang on at 1-0 down, only for disaster to strike. Ryan Hollingshead was called for a handball in the box on another set piece, with VAR upholding the call. Ángel Mena did the rest, making perfect use of the final seconds of the half.
Léon left some big chances unfinished to boot, while LAFC’s improved second half still saw them settling for low-quality chances. There were none better than Mena’s chance at a brace in the 58th minute, which was saved by McCarthy in what proved to be a critical intervention.
McCarthy was doing everything he could, and that ended up being critical, as LAFC would change the tone of the tie entirely in the kind of dramatic, weird fashion that is a CCL hallmark.
First, Léon thought they’d scored a dagger of a third goal at the back post, only for Osvaldo Rodríguez to see his shoulder-goal called back for a foul after he crashed into Sergi Palencia in the process of scoring.
LAFC survived, and then had a stunner of their own at the other end. A break upfield that Léon were emphatic involved a foul on LAFC’s Denil Maldonado was allowed to carry on, and Mateusz Bogusz’s powerful low cross picked out MLS Golden Boot leader Dénis Bouanga for a finish with virtually the game’s final kick.
LAFC celebrated like they’d won the game, but the festivities came with a healthy dose of relief. The second leg will require much more if they’re to follow in the footsteps of the Seattle Sounders.
Cherundolo: ‘Scoreline is extremely lucky for us’
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo had no illusions about how the game went, leading off his post-game press conference by saying he was “very disappointed” in his side’s performance.
“[Bouanga’s] goal does give us a chance, but that goal alone does not help us win a final,” stated Cherundolo. “The performances of every individual out there, the performance of the group as a group, needs to be much, much improved. I think the scoreline is extremely lucky for us.”
That said, Cherundolo also noted that he knows his team can offer more, and that he expects them to bring their A-game on Sunday.
“We are experienced enough, smart enough to bounce back. We’re also fit enough to put in a much better performance on Sunday. And this team knows exactly what’s at stake,” said Cherundolo. “I am 100% positive [the] LAFC performance on Sunday will be much improved, and hopefully good enough to raise a trophy.”
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