Round 1 ends this weekend with four Game 3s beginning with Friday night’s matchup between LAFC and the Vancouver Whitecaps (10:30 p.m. ET, Apple TV). As the reigning Western Conference winners, the Black and Gold host the win-or-go-home matchup inside BMO Stadium in Los Angeles in front of what is sure to be a rowdy home crowd.
To get here, both squads successfully defended home turf in Games 1 and 2. LAFC took the lead in the 30th minute of the first leg thanks to a controversial handball inside the box by Vancouver defender Tristan Blackmon which resulted in a Denis Bouanga penalty shot. Cristian Olivera doubled LAFC’s lead in the 57th minute off an assist from Mateusz Bogusz. Vancouver’s Ryan Gauld, who led the team in scoring this season with 15, continued his hot streak with a stoppage-time goal, though it was too little too late.
In the second leg on Sunday, LAFC gave up two own goals after Gauld scored the opener off a deflection directly in front of the goal. LAFC were unable to answer after Gauld’s 10th-minute strike, and left BC Place with a 3-0 loss.
The winner of Friday’s match will face the Seattle Sounders, who advanced after two straight wins over the Houston Dynamo, in the single elimination conference semifinals.
Follow the match below with our live blog featuring updates, highlights and commentary.
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74′
Blackmon heads it into the goal off a set piece, but was way offsides.
62′ GOAL for Mateusz Bogusz
Aaron Long set up Bogusz nicely and the Polish international perfectly places it into the net.
57′
Giroud and Bouanga nearly connect on another opportunity, this time with Giroud on the receiving end of a pass into the box. He misses and Vancouver is getting antsy.
54′
Giroud, who came in at the half, nearly makes his mark on the game with a dime to Bouanga, but Bouanga misses out on a score by mere inches.
51′
O’Brien attempts what would have been an epic bicycle-kick goal, but is denied by White.
47′
Down goes Bouanga inside the box after a shove from Berhalter! The ref doesn’t bite and instead awards Vancouver a goal kick.
HALFTIME: LAFC 0-0 Vancouver Whitecaps
Vancouver seems to have all the momentum after their 3-0 destruction of LAFC in Game 2. In this highly competitive chess match, LAFC is losing the possession battle (62% to 38%) and has taken just 2 shots with 0 on target to Vancouver’s 7 with 1 on goal.
43′
Gauld gets one through to an open White who wastes a perfect opportunity with a shot wide left.
40′
After an explosive run, Hollingshead puts in a great cross to Palencia inside the box. Palencia fired off a shot, but it was blocked by a wall of Whitecaps defenders.
27′
Whitecaps nearly break through, but Lloris is right there to knock away Brian White’s quick shot. The visitors are starting to knock.
20′
Still scoreless after 20 minutes with Vancouver leading the possession battle (59%). BMO Stadium still hasn’t filled up, but the energy coming from the crowd is electric.
8′
Denis Bouanga takes his first shot of the night, but it hits the side-netting. The 29-year-old Frenchman finished second in scoring during the regular season with 20 goals (same as Messi) and has scored once so far in the postseason.
