LAFC VS. ST. LOUIS MLS MATCHDAY 10

LAFC hosted St. Louis FC on prime-time Sunday night MLS soccer at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California. Not only did fans show up, but both teams brought their strongest rosters to perform for all the MLS fans across the country watching during the slated prime-time slot. With LAFC coming off a draw against the strong Portland Timbers last week with a 3-3 goal fest, and a win the week before that against the San Jose Earthquakes, LAFC looked to keep their small undefeated run going. What did not start off as the most interesting and action-packed first half definitely did not end up that way. The game tempo and energy completely changed in the second half, which led to LAFC becoming the fastest team to reach 450 goals in MLS history. With their 236 matches played, it’s been club legends such as Carlos Vela, Gareth Bale, and current stars such as Denis Bouanga who have played a huge part in finding the back of the net for the club.

It only took 7 minutes after the second half kicked off for St. Louis to open the scoring and make it 0-1 at LAFC’s home. A beautifully placed cross into the box led to an impressive goal in the 52nd minute by Cedric Teuchert, where he controlled the ball right to his feet and easily placed it into the bottom of the net to open the score sheet. The stadium instantly went quiet as all the LAFC fans could not believe their eyes. What had seemed like a favorite win for LAFC at home had now turned into a game of catch-up. After a few minutes of trailing 0-1, LAFC made a strategic substitution that had an instant impact on the pace of the gameplay. LAFC subbed in attacking players such as Cengiz Ünder and Nathan Ordaz, who are both known not only for attacking but also for having a great track record of creating goals. It did not take more than a few minutes for Ünder to immediately send in a cross that led to an assist and goal scored by none other than Denis Bouanga. The game was now leveled, and the energy instantly shifted for both teams.

As the game counted down, so did the action. In the 72nd minute, Denis Bouanga won himself a penalty as he cut from the wing and drove into the box, beating the defender but getting fouled. The opportunity to take the lead was there, but Bouanga failed to score his penalty as the St. Louis City goalkeeper blocked the shot, keeping his team leveled. This game took an immediate turn and looked nothing like the first half. In the 82nd minute, Alfredo Morales pulled down an LAFC player to the ground, earning his second yellow card, which resulted in a red card. The match's atmosphere was out of this world as LAFC fans knew there was now even more hope to finish this game once and for all. Soon after the red card, in the 88th minute, the inevitable happened — a free kick taken for St. Louis resulted in a bunch of ricochets in the box and an own goal from a deflection off LAFC player Nathan Ordaz. The game had now been set in the direction of a loss for LAFC with a late goal. Some fans were even seen leaving early as hope had been lost so late in the game, but Denis Bouanga had other plans for the end of the match. In extra time past the 90th minute, who other then Bouanga would heel flick the ball on a breakaway in the box and put it away in the bottom corner to tie the game. The stadium shook as the team celebrated.

Although the team looked for a home win, at least it did not result in a loss. LAFC looks to take on Houston Dynamo next week to keep the undefeated run going.

The following are the results of the match day 10 scores in MLS this week:

Cincinnati (1st E) 2-1 SKC (14th W)

Toronto (14th E) 0-1 NYCFC (9th E)

NYRB (8th E) 1-0 Montreal (15th E)

Union (3rd E) 3-0 DC United (13th E)

Orlando (7th E) 3-0 Atlanta (12th E)

Charlotte (4th E) 0-1 N.E. Rev (10th E)

Columbus (2nd E) 2-1 San Jose (11th E)

San Diego (7th W) 1-3 RSL (10th W)

Houston (13th W) 2-0 Austin (3rd W)

Nashville (6th E) 7-2 Chicago (11th E)

Colorado (5th W) 1-1 Seattle (9th E)

Min. Utd (4th W) 1-3 Vancouver (1st W)

Int. Miami (5th E) 3-4 FC Dallas (6th W)

LAFC (8th W) 2-2 St. Louis (12th E)

Galaxy (15th W) 2-4 Portland (2nd W) Special Thanks to @Upper90official for making this event coverage possible

Written by: Joseph Hernandez Torrejon Photos shot by: Joseph Hernandez Torrejon