Kwadwo Opoku and Carlos Vela scored within the first half, and LAFC beat the Seattle Sounders 2-1 Friday evening within the residence debuts of European superstars Giorgio Chiellini and Gareth Bale.
Main League Soccer-leading LAFC (15-4-3) earned its season-best fourth consecutive victory and moved seven factors away from Austin atop the Western Convention throughout its longest profitable streak since 2019. LAFC can also be six factors forward Philadelphia within the race for the Supporters’ Protect.
Seattle scored on an early own-goal by LAFC, however nonetheless dropped to 0-5-1 on the Banc in the course of the common season. The Sounders received the 2019 Western Convention last right here.
Chiellini began and performed 71 minutes at Banc of California Stadium, whereas Bale got here on as an alternative within the 63rd minute of each gamers’ third match with their new membership. The duo’s strikes to LAFC this summer time turned a workforce that was already atop the MLS desk into a possible powerhouse for the ultimate three months of the season.
Bale, who scored his first MLS purpose at Kansas Metropolis final week, received a number of standing ovations from the energetic crowd. Chiellini additionally received loud cheers when he checked out.
Chiellini and LAFC have been cheered on within the entrance row at Banc of California Stadium by Angel Di Maria and a number of other different gamers from Juventus, the membership that employed Chiellini for the previous 17 seasons. Juve is in Los Angeles on its U.S. summer time tour to face Actual Madrid on the Rose Bowl on Saturday evening. Bale additionally visited his former Madrid teammates at their coaching session in Los Angeles earlier this week.
Seattle went forward within the 14th minute when Cristian Roldan pressured a turnover and made a scorching cross into the field, the place a sliding Jesus Murillo tipped it into his personal web.
LAFC appeared to attain within the twenty seventh minute with a thunderous strike by Vela, however the purpose was disallowed when video evaluation indicated Vela used his arm to settle the ball.
Opoku nonetheless evened it eight minutes later with a powerful strike of his personal, threading a shot between two Sounders and previous a diving Stefan Frei. The 21-year-old Ghanaian ahead recognized higher generally known as Mahala is discovering his groove in MLS with 5 objectives this season.
Vela received the go-ahead purpose within the forty third minute when he slid to deflect Jose Cifuentes’ stunning cross previous Frei at point-blank vary.
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