LAFC defeated the Philadelphia Union to win its first MLS Cup on Saturday at Bank of California Stadium in incredible fashion. Here’s what you should know:
- LAFC took the game level to 3-3 with a Gareth Bale equalizer in the 128th minute and forced a penalty. Former Union player and Philadelphia native backup goaltender John McCarthy notched his two saves to lead Black and Gold to an unrealistic victory. .
- McCarthy, who was named MVP, was replaced after starting keeper Maxime Crepeaux was sidelined with an injury and received a red card late in extra time.
- LA is the eighth team in MLS history to win both the Supporters Shield and the MLS Cup in one season.
How did this happen
The two teams exchanged goals in the final ten minutes of regulation and the second stoppage time of extra time, which was extended by nine minutes due to Crepeaux suffering a brutal injury. Crepeau was shown a red card for his role in the play and beat Philadelphia forward Corey Burke who would otherwise have been alone in goal.
Center back Jack Elliott scored the second goal of the match to put Union ahead 3-2 in the 124th minute, hitting the rebound from close range following an incredible first save by McCarthy . Bale, who arrived with great fanfare this summer but have been far from living up to expectations this season, managed to react four minutes later, rising above Elliott and sending a cross home to make it 3-3. It was the latest goal in the history of the United States, breaking the record set four minutes ago by the same man with an equalizing cross.
Born in Philadelphia, attended college in Philadelphia, and spent the first four seasons of his MLS career there, McCarthy rose to prominence in the shootout. Both teams missed their first attempts, and Union goalkeeper Andre Blake saved Christian Tello’s weak effort before Philadelphia midfielder Daniel Gazdag slipped on the run-up and sent a shot over the bar. . McCarthy then saved the Union’s next two attempts, denying Jose Martinez and Kai Wagner, while Dennis Buanga and Ryan Hollingshead made LAFC’s subsequent two attempts 2-0. and headed for the fourth round kick.
Illy Sanchez took it from there and narrowly beat Blake with a penalty in the bottom right corner to give LAFC the title.
As MLS Commissioner Don Gerber said just before presenting the trophy to LAFC captain Carlos Vera, the game was “major league football at its best.” It was one of the best in league history, and in front of a raucous crowd in a state-of-the-art stadium, the best in the league this season was an incomprehensibly dramatic battle between the two teams. It was far from football’s most beautiful game, but what it lacked in beauty it made up for in excitement, and in the end, he led LAFC to become champions.
LA ended the day in the lead, but Philadelphia were actually the better team for much of the opening half hour, successfully overcoming LAFC’s pressure and tipping the field towards black and gold goals. LAFC still scored first but took the lead against the flow of play in the 28th minute.
Martinez committed a sloppy turnover in the Union half, cutting down LAFC striker Chicho Arango to give the hosts a dangerous free kick 25 yards from goal. Midfielder Kerrin Acosta stepped into his kick, and Union midfielder Jacques He shot a deflected shot off McGlynn’s head and missed his foot past the break into the bottom corner. , became 1-0.
.@KellynAcosta 1-0 with a preemptive strike! 💥#LAFC X #MLSCup pic.twitter.com/91MnwbNLsD
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 5, 2022
LAFC improved once they scored first and were close to 2-0 in the 39th minute. Bela created a chance and played a gorgeous ball directly into Diego Palacios’ onslaught pass on the left side of the area. Palacios tried to get the ball back into his teammate’s path over the front of goal, but Blake made a great play to deflect the ball out of danger.
LAFC had another great look in the 41st minute when Acosta nearly selected Vera at the right post with a drive cross. Vela was unable to reach the ball with her outstretched leg.
Union’s best chance of the first half came minutes later. Bouanga played an errant backpass directly to Philadelphia forward Julian Carranza, who immediately put his fellow forward Mikael Oule in the penalty box. Oule beat centre-back Sebastian Ibeaga, but defenders Jesús Murillo and Crepeaux quickly came together to prevent him from taking a shot on target.
Philadelphia tied the game in the 59th inning. Martinez assembled a repurposed set piece and attempted an ambitious shot from about 35 yards out, but didn’t come up with much. It ultimately worked in Philadelphia’s favor, and the ball rolled directly into Gazdag’s path, who collected, turned, and calmly shot to make it 1-1 past Crepeau.
all. tied. Up.
Daniel Gazdag leveled!#doop X #MLSCup pic.twitter.com/00HcMIj5JG
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 5, 2022
Neither club could produce much else until Murillo headed in a Vera corner in the 83rd minute to restore LAFC’s lead. Vera curled with an inswinger from the right, and Murillo beat Martinez to the ball and headed home from the near post six yards out.
Murillo gives LAFC the lead with 10 minutes remaining#LAFC X #MLSCup pic.twitter.com/yjdBtJMwVJ
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) November 5, 2022
With the clock down and Philadelphia struggling to create chances, LAFC looked like a safe bet to retain the title, but Elliott pulled a surprising Union level with an 85th. Wagner, who is tied for second in the league with 15 assists in the regular season, threw a free kick into the box from the left flank. The 6-foot-6 Elliott lost the mark and rode on the edge of a cross near his post and headed his shot from 10 yards. Crepeau did shoot, but the pace of the ball was too fast to keep it.
All four goals in regulation came after or just after a set-piece, befitting a match in which both sides struggled to piece together sustained attack.
Union had a scary moment in the second minute of extra time. Blake came out of the box and swept Vera through his ball, but Buanga blocked the clearing attempt. The ball was redirected to goal, but Buanga was unable to reach it.
Philadelphia had chances in the 104th inning. Wagner curled in a cross that flew into the air from the left after being deflected by an LAFC defender.
Carranza maneuvered under it on the right side of the area and headed a loop shot towards the far post but narrowly missed the top corner.
The second half of extra time was marred by a brutal clash between Crepeau and Burke in the 110th minute. Union right-back Olivier Mbaiso played a long clearance from his box to midfield. Burke tried it, but the LAFC centre-back appeared to handle it, with Murillo hitting the ball and returning the pass to Crepeaux. But he underhit the pass and Burke kept running. Crepeaux came out of the box desperately trying to avoid the danger, but slipped in the second half and fouled Burke, who would have scored the goal had he not been knocked down.
Referee Ismail Elfas initially only gave Crepeau a yellow card for the challenge, but changed it to red after a review, reducing LAFC to 10 men for the remainder of the game.
Both players were injured, with Crepeaux apparently suffering a serious leg injury. Neither Fox nor he nor Univision showed a replay of the incident in an attempt to avoid showing the gruesome clash. The game was halted for nearly eight minutes as both Burke and Crepeau received medical attention. Crepeau eventually took off in a golf cart and was replaced by McCarthy. Burke tried to keep playing, but he had to be replaced shortly after play resumed.
The delay resulted in a staggering nine minutes of injury time and, more surprisingly, included two more goals.
Elliott scored his first in the 124th inning. LAFC initially dealt with Philadelphia’s corner, but Union pinned them in the final third, sending balls into the box after ball. Wagner threw in a cross from the right flank, with Carranza and Sanchez battling for the back post. McCarthy put in an incredible reaction stop to prevent a redirected shot, but Elliot pounced on the rebound and tapped home from close range to give Union a 3-2 advantage.
That should have been it. It wasn’t. LAFC managed to fight back and Bale, who had been quiet all season, finished in a decisive 128th place. That set up a shootout and McCarthy took over, leading LAFC to its first-ever league title right in front of the club’s supporters section.
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(Photo: Kelvin Kuo/USA Today)
