LOS ANGELES, California – Return to BC Place.

Los Angeles FC won the first match of the Best-of-3 series of the first round with a narrow 2-1 victory at BMO Stadium on Sunday. Now, Vancouver Whitecaps FC will try to force a third match with a home win next Sunday, November 3. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets. The 2024 Whitecaps FC Playoffs are presented by BMO, PlayNow Sports and TELUS.

It was a cautious start to the match. Olivier Giroud had the first look at the LAFC goal, found by Cristian Olivera in the box in the opening minutes, but his deflected header went wide of the goal.

However, the best chance early on went to the Caps. Stuart Armstrong slipped Brian White behind the LAFC defense, as he managed to beat Hugo Lloris but hit the post before it bounced across goal and kept wide.

Whitecaps FC kept up the pressure and once again almost made it 1-0 in 14 minutes thanks to Pedro Vite. A superb passing play found the Ecuadorian on the edge of the box as he attempted to place a shot into the bottom right corner, but it flew wide of a whisker.

However, despite a good start, LAFC opened the scoring in the 30th minute from the penalty spot, after Tristan Blackmon was adjudged to have handled the ball in the box. Denis Bouanga stepped up and sent his penalty to give LAFC a 1-0 lead.

Whitecaps FC fought back and had two glorious chances just before half-time to equalize, with Ryan Gauld smashing the upright from a 25-yard free kick, and Sam Adekugbe heading a dangerous ball straight into the six-yard box before ‘be clear in front. of a white man waiting.

The second half saw LAFC double their lead 12 minutes into the second half, thanks to Olivera. Mateusz Bogusz played the ball to Olivera on the right side and the Uruguayan smashed it near the post to give LAFC their second.

Bogusz almost added one more, first hitting the frame of the goal from inside the area and then hitting a free kick off the crossbar.

Whitecaps FC continued to fight back, pulling a point back right at the end, after a smart pass from Damir Kreilach into the box set up by Gauld to score the goal.

Despite the late goal, LAFC would hold on to the 2-1 victory, setting up a tantalizing return match at BC Place the next week.

Whitecaps FC will now host the second match against LAFC next Sunday, November 3 at BC Place at 5:45 p.m. PT. For tickets, visit whitecapsfc.com/tickets.

Presence: 22,298
Arbitrator: Jair Marrufo

Summary of scores30′ – LAFC – Denis Bouanga (penalty)
57′ – LAFC – Cristian Olivera (Mateusz Bogusz, Ryan Hollingshead)
90’+5 – VAN – Ryan Gauld (Damir Kreilach, Sebastian Berhalter)

StatisticsOwnership: LAFC 46.4% – NPV 53.6%
Plans: LAFC 15 – VAN 15
Penalties: LAFC 4 – VAN 4
Stops: LAFC 3 – VAN 2
Fouls: LAFC 12 – VAN 16
Offside: LAFC 1 – VAN 2
Corners: LAFC 5 – VAN 3

Precautions58′ – LAFC – Ryan Hollingshead
58′ – LAFC – Aaron Long
73′ – VAN – Mathías Laborda
90′ – VAN – Ranko Veselinović

Los Angeles FC1.Hugo Lloris; 14.Sergi Palencia, 25.Maxime Chanot, 33.Aaron Long; 13. Cristian Olivera (5. Marlon 81′), 11. Timothy Tillman (6. Ilie Sánchez 81′), 8. Lewis O’Brien, 24. Ryan Hollingshead; 19. Mateusz Bogusz, 9. Olivier Giroud (23. Kei Kamara 65′), 99. Denis Bouanga (10. Carlos Vela 86′)

Unused substitutes
12.Thomas Hasal, 2.Omar Campos, 3.Jesús Murillo, 20.Eduard Atuesta, 30.David Martinez

Vancouver Whitecaps1.Yohei Takaoka; 2. Mathías Laborda, 4. Ranko Veselinović, 6. Tristan Blackmon, 3. Sam Adekugbe; 45.Pedro Vite (16.Sebastian Berhalter 65′), 20.Andrés Cubas (19.Damir Kreilach 88′), 26.Stuart Armstrong (8.Alessandro Schöpf 65′); 25.Ryan Gauld, 22.Ali Ahmed (11.Fafa Picault 65′); 24.Brian White (28.Levonte Johnson 79′)

Unused substitutes
32.Isaac Boehmer, 7.Ryan Raposo, 15.Bjørn Inge Utvik, 18.Édier Ocampo