LAFC vs Columbus Crew – December 9, 2023
The path to become repeat champions has come to an end as the rainy LAFC vs Columbus Crew MLS Cup matchup ended in a 2-1 loss for the Black and Gold. Although Dénis Bouanga was able to put LAFC on the scoreboard late in the 74th minute, there just wasn’t enough time to equalize the match as Columbus Crew milked the clock on numerous possessions following the play.
Playing at home at Lower.com Field, Columbus was able to strike first blood with a dominating first half, scoring twice on goals made by forward Cucho Hernández and midfielder Yaw Yeboah. LAFC was called on a penalty when Diego Palacios got caught on a hand ball. Cucho then succeeded his PK past LAFC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau.
Only four minutes after Cucho’s goal, Columbus’ Malte Amundsen found Yeboah right outside the left corner of the penalty box. Yeboah drifted past LAFC’s Ryan Hollingshead and Giorgio Chiellini and shot a left-footer past a diving Crépeau to double the lead to 2-0 and add to his club’s reel for the LAFC vs Columbus Crew highlights.
After the halftime break, Yeboah almost scored another goal but Palacios was at the right place at the right time to deflect the ball off line with a header to prevent any more bleeding. LAFC captain Carlos Vela had a decent look at goal in the 57th minute but his shot went directly into the hands of Amundsen for the save.
In the 74th minute, LAFC’s Jesús Murillo found Bouanga rushing down the middle and passed to the winger who struck a deflected shot off Amundsen. The ball rolled right back to Bouanga as he seized the opportunity to put the ball into the back of the net, putting LAFC on the board. DB tied Cucho for the top postseason goal scorer this year, as well as Vela’s 2019 record of 38 goals in a calendar year.
The Crew’s defense held onto the lead through the remainder of the 2023 MLS Cup and its 7-minute stoppage time for their third franchise championship.
We’ll wait and see if the 34-year-old Vela will retire after the season, but we hope El Capitan will come back for another shot in 2024. Earlier this year, he told The Atheltic’s Felipe Cardenas that he would retire if he’s not 100 percent healthy.
“I want to end my career well,” said Vela. “I don’t want to be let go because I can’t play anymore. If my mind and body aren’t at 100 percent, I’ll step aside and let others step in. I’ve always been clear about that. I know it’s coming soon.”
