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HIGHLIGHTS | LAFC vs LA Galaxy – 10/20/22

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LAFC vs LA Galaxy Highlights

There really was no possible way of scripting the final LAFC vs LA Galaxy matchup for the 2022 calendar year. In a 3-2 stoppage time victory at home, the Black and Gold finished the night with a W in the MLS Western Conference semifinal episode of El Tráfico. With so much to cover on the LAFC vs LA Galaxy highlights, let’s go right on ahead with what occurred during the game of the year at Banc of California Stadium.

Early on, LAFC struck first in the 23rd minute of the match as Carlos Vela found Denis Bouanga in the box, who shot through LA Galaxy goalkeeper Jonathan Bond, bringing the score to 1-0. Not long after, an unfortunate clearance by LAFC defender Eddie Segura gave Galaxy’s Samuel Grandsir an opportunity to equalize the match at 1-1 in the 44th minute. That was all she wrote for the first half, but there was so much more to come in the second half LAFC vs LA Galaxy highlights.

It seemed as if LAFC had the game in the bag following Bouanga’s tap-in brace in the 88’, but the Galaxy proved they weren’t done just yet as the fourth seed in the Western Conference. Only five minutes following LAFC’s second goal, Dejan Joveljić shot an absolutely clutch shot from the left side of the penalty arc to even the score to 2-2. Safe to say, this episode of El Tráfico wasn’t over.

Six minutes into stoppage time in the 93rd minute, a corner kick by LAFC’s Kellyn Acosta lined toward Bouanga who made an attempt for his third shot of the night, but the goal was deflected by Bond…and right into the feet of Chicho Arango. Chicho then channeled his ultra instinct and launched the ball into the back of the net to give LAFC a 3-2 lead with the go-ahead. Banc of California Stadium was roaring.

“It’s unbelievable,” said Bouanga of the atmosphere of the stadium. “Even with my experiences in other stadiums, it was fantastic. Our supporters out there, it starts from minute one until the end and it really pushes the group. You don’t feel tired at all even though we played 90 plus minutes. It’s fantastic to have the fans and ever since my first game here, I’ve felt that.”

The first playoff meeting of the two LA clubs will go down in history as the most memorable El Tráfico meet, not only because the Black and Gold came out victorious, but due to the back and forth battle resulting in five lead changes throughout the match.

“It’s something that the fans deserved, my family deserved it, we all deserved it,” said Chicho as he described his game-winning goal. “It’s an uncountable amount of happiness that we needed as a group. Now we need to continue on this path. The road is clear ahead of us and we have to take that road and do our best.”

LAFC will have ten days rest until their next matchup on October 30, with the opponent still to be determined.