They say the lights are brighter in Tinseltown, and while that may or may not be true, BMO Stadium was certainly well-lit for MNUFC’s dominant 3-1 victory over LAFC. A complete, efficient performance from the Loons very nearly saw the visitors come away with a clean sheet in addition to all three points, and with a six-game unbeaten run now and some of the best form in the league, their hopeful charge for a playoff spot goes on.
The Loons rolled with the 4-4-2 that’s been serving them so well recently, with Mauricio González and Tomás Chancalay providing the width and Joaquín Pereyra getting a run up top next to Kelvin Yeboah. The double pivot of Nectarios Triantis and Owen Gene gave the midfield a fluid dynamic, while right back Cherrion Valerius continued to shine in his starting role. Jefferson Diaz, Morris Duggan, and Anthony Markanich rounded out the backline, while Drake Callender’s safe hands held things down between the sticks.
The Boys in Black and Blue were calm and composed early on, forcing the game to take on a very patient pace, with a high level of technical quality on display. The hosts were probing, but a solid, compact shape from the Loons kept them from finding enough space or rhythm to create much of consequence. A lengthy injury stoppage in the early stages of the match slowed proceedings down, hitting a reset button of sorts while LAFC center back Aaron Long was tended to. While scattered chances popped up for both sides, it wasn’t until Mauricio González capitalized on an LAFC mistake to create his side’s first scoring opportunity (narrowly missed) in the 25th minute that the game really opened up.
After frustrating their hosts for nearly a half hour, the Loons began to take advantage of increasingly desperate, forced attempts to get through from LAFC. Wayward passes gave MNUFC increasingly dangerous footholds, leading to close calls and increased confidence with every passing minute. Just before the clock hit 30 minutes, that confidence yielded results.
In the 29th minute, a Valerius long throw bounced around the box, falling to the feet of a completely unmarked Pereyra. The Argentine waved the wand that is his left foot, striking across a bouncing ball to fire home into the bottom right corner of the net. LAFC’s flat-footed defense was left helpless, and with the scoring opened, the game was ready to open up even more.
Just five minutes later, Valerius popped up again, starting a move forward to find Triantis in the middle of the pitch. The right back continued his run, finding his way to the box to meet the ball from Yeboah and smash it past Hugo Lloris for his first goal as a Loon. And what a way to do it.
With the lead doubled, the Loons saw out the remainder of the half professionally. A full seven minutes of added time saw Callender come up big on a pair of occasions, and some fantastic movement and passing from Gene helped the Loons keep possession and move the ball forward effectively before the whistle.
Out of the break, the visitors continued to look composed and motivated to keep their season alive. Tomás Chancalay grew into the match with more touches, playing González through in the 50th minute to really spark some creative thinking. While the Colombian forward didn’t find the net with that chance, he would have something to say before the night was done.
The Loons continued to move the ball effectively when they put together spells of possession, but an increasingly open game became rather stop-start with little fouls, injuries, and substitutions. Moments of defensive brilliance from Duggan and Callender continued to stifle Bouanga and Son, setting up the visitors for an easy finish.
But why stop there?
In the 81st minute, another takeaway high up the pitch sent González through, and a late-arriving run from Pereyra allowed the Argentine playmaker to turn into a goal scorer yet again, sending in a curling, driven shot that Lloris couldn’t handle.
An impressive bicycle kick from LAFC’s Sergio Vásquez saw the hosts grab a consolation goal to dirty the Loons’ sheets and give the home fans something to remember.
From the very first moments of this one, the visiting Loons played with a confidence and panache that made a win feel almost inevitable. They flipped the script more than once, not allowing LAFC the chance to play in transition as often as they prefer. Drake Callender’s timely saves kept his side from losing momentum, with several first-half stops relieving pressure and frustrating LAFC’s stars, forcing them into less and less advantageous shots. While the hosts ended the night with 22 shots to MNUFC’s seven, just seven of those were on target, showing just how forced some of those opportunities really were.
A cameo from midfielder Peter Stroud added an extra silver lining to the win, as he made a long-awaited return from injury to help his side see the result out. Now, with a single game left and 41 points to their name, the Loons will need to earn another three points against San Jose in next week’s Decision Day matchup, along with some help, to have a shot at bringing this hot streak into the postseason.
