The most consistent team in recent years in the MLS, LAFC earned its ticket to the playoffs by winning as a visitor against FC Cincinnati, in a match in which the Los Angeles club started with players of 11 different nationalities.
LAFC debuted its US Open Cup championship by beating tough FC Cincinnati 1-2 on Saturday night thanks to the goals of Venezuelan David MartÃnez and Franco-Gabonian Denis Bouanga. With the victory, the black and gold reached 52 points to return to second place in the Western Conference behind the LA Galaxy (58).
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Also qualified for the playoffs in said conference are Real Salt Lake (52), Colorado (50), Seattle (50), Houston (48) and Vancouver (47) in the final stretch of the season.
LAFC put players of 14 nationalities on the field in total
Steve Cherundolo, who reached 50 victories as LAFC coach, started the game with an extraordinarily international lineup. The 11 starters were of different nationalities.
The lineup (following the order of the image below) was with Hugo Lloris (France); Eddie Segura (Colombia), Maxime Chanot (France-Luxembourg), Kei Kamara (Sierra Leone), Ilie Sánchez (Spain-USA); and below Sergi Palencia (Spain), Omar Campos (Mexico), Cristian Olivera (Uruguay), Mateusz Bogusz (Poland), Lewis O’Brien (England) and David MartÃnez (Venezuela).
When Bouanga, who represents Gabon, replaced MartÃnez in the second half, she became the 12th. nationality to play for LAFC on Saturday. And Timothy Tillman, born in Germany but representing the United States, and Marlon Santos, a Brazilian defender who made his debut on the circuit, would still come to play.
In sum, 14 different nationalities took part in the game for the Los Angeles team in an example of amazing diversity. In fact, of the 16 players who saw action for LAFC, only one was born in the United States, full-back Ryan Hollingshead.
A very French goal made the difference in Cincinnati
Venezuelan MartÃnez opened the scoring in the 34th minute for LAFC. Argentine Luca Orellano tied for FC Cincinnati at 61′. But Bouanga, the previous season’s scoring champion, completed a tremendous, very French combination for the winning goal in the 73rd minute.
Goalkeeper Lloris had cleared, his compatriot Olivier Giroud extended and Bouanga, who was born in France, made a tremendous movement in the area with the ball before shooting the goalkeeper. It was his 18th goal of the year.
LAFC, which had not won in the league since late August, has reached the MLS playoffs for the sixth time in its seven years of existence and is the only team to qualify for the postseason with at least 50 points in each of the past three seasons.
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