LAFC vs Leon Highlights – CONCACAF Champions League Round of 16 – Second Leg
LAFC welcomed Leon into Banc of California Stadium for the second leg of their Round of 16 Champions League draw.
Needing to erase a two goal deficit, LAFC rode the energy from a raucous home crowd to get themselves back into the contest. Vela and Rossi did the rest.
It felt like it was 2019 all over again.
Carlos Vela (who else?) put LAFC on the board in the 27th minute to give the home side hope. Mixing it up inside the six, he pounced on second time cross from Diego Palacios to score his first competitive goal of 2020.
LAFC struggled to find their second, though, unable to find an equalizer until deep in the second half. It wasn’t until the 77th minute, when the three men at the center of the incredible 2019 campaign combined to create the second goal. Atuesta secured the ball in the midfield, shrugged off a defender and slipped Rossi down the right line. Rossi played a dangerous ball in behind the Leon back line to pick out Vela for his second of the night.
Within seconds of the restart, Rossi found himself with the ball in his favorite spot. Staring down his defender just outside the left side of the penalty box, Rossi feinted to buy himself half a yard of space, then chipped Leon’s keeper from an impossible angle to give LAFC the lead on aggregate.
That was all she wrote.
LAFC await their quarterfinal draw, but look forward to the start of the MLS regular season campaign in two days against newcomers Inter Miami CF.
