On Saturday, October 19th, the Los Angeles Football Club had an emotional roller coaster to the Western Conference on Decision Day. The Black and Gold beat the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1, booking their ticket to the MLS playoffs.
This match was crucial for the Black and Gold, as they needed a win to top the Western Conference table and were hoping the Houston Dynamo would beat the LA Galaxy.
The Match
Going into the game, the San Jose Earthquakes played well by pressing LAFC, while the Black and Gold played from the back. The San Jose Earthquakes game plan was executed perfectly after a Quake player marked Timothy Tillman and Jackson Yueill scored past Hugo Lloris.
In the first half, LAFC could not pass the ball well and lacked the killer instinct in front of goal. The whole LAFC attack couldn’t control the ball, and there was no urgency to win since the LA Galaxy were 1-0 down to the Dynamo.
Despite a tough 25 minutes in the second half, LAFC slowly grew into the game, and Denis Bouanga scored thanks to an awful clearance by Quake center-back Rodrigues.
Eleven minutes later, Eduard Atuesta struck the ball, making the score 2-1 and the game more entertaining. In the 90th minute, LAFC’s new signing, Marlon Santos, finishes the game with a superb header.
Last Minute madness on Decision Day
After the game, LAFC supporters’ eyes were on the LA Galaxy and Houston Dynamo. The Galaxy needed to lose, and LAFC finished top. The LA Galaxy got a penalty, and Gabriel Pec stepped up to score the penalty to make it 1-1. The LAFC fans were devastated, as the LAFC victory meant nothing.
A draw was enough for Galaxy to finish top of the Western Conference table. However, a moment that LAFC fans had been waiting for, a last-minute goal from the Dynamo, sent LAFC to the top of the table.
The whole BMO Stadium celebrated; even the LAFC players and staff watched the last-minute drama.
Since LAFC finished top, the Black and Gold need to see who they face between Portland and Vancouver Whitecaps on Wednesday, October 23.
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