LAFC Return to MLS Play with Convincing 4-0 Win Over Colorado
August 24, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Los Angeles FC News Release
The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) returned to MLS action following a month-long break for the Leagues Cup and got straight back to their winning ways, defeating the Colorado Rapids 4-0 in front of a sold-out crowd at BMO Stadium. Mateusz Bogusz, Carlos Vela and Ryan Hollingshead all scored first half goals for LAFC before Cristian Olivera, who was making his LAFC debut after signing with the club earlier this month, added a fourth late in the second half.
With the win, LAFC is now alone in second place in the MLS Western Conference with an 11-6-7 record for 40 points, leaving them four points behind St. Louis CITY for first place with 10 games left in the regular season.
LAFC will be back in action on Saturday, August 26 when the club travels east to take on Charlotte FC. That game will kick off at 4:30 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 710 AM and 980 AM.
NEWS & NOTES
LAFC extended its unbeaten streak in MLS play to four games dating back to July 8 with the club going 2-0-2 in that time for eight points from a possible 12.
The club has now won its last four games in all competitions at BMO Stadium, dating back to a 3-0 win over St. Louis CITY on July 12. In those four games, LAFC has outscored its opponents 18-1, winning by at least three goals in each match.
LAFC is now 5-0-0 all-time at home against the Rapids, outscoring them 14-2 in that time.
In 2023, LAFC is now 16-1-3 in all competitions when scoring first, including 10-0-2 in MLS.
Mateusz Bogusz opened the scoring for LAFC in the 19th minute. He now has two goals and two assists in his last three games. He had two goals and two assists in his first 19 appearances for the club.
Carlos Vela, who assisted on Bogusz's opener, doubled the LAFC lead 10 minutes later with his ninth goal of the MLS season. He has now scored in three consecutive league games and is one goal away from a fourth MLS season with 10 or more goals.
In 33 games in all competitions this year, Vela has 14 goals and 10 assists. He joins Denis Bouanga as the only two players on the club with 10 or more goals and assists in all competitions in 2023. That pair has scored 39 of the 68 goals (57.4%) that LAFC has scored between the MLS Regular Season, Concacaf Champions League, U.S. Open Cup and Leagues Cup.
Vela now has seven goals in 10 career games against the Rapids, having previously tallied hat tricks against them in 2019 and 2022.
Ryan Hollingshead added a third goal for LAFC just before halftime. After tying a career-high with six goals in MLS last season, this was his second of this season, giving him multiple goals in each of his last five seasons.
Uruguayan Cristian Olivera entered the game in the 64th minute to make his LAFC debut. He tallied his first goal for the club 21 minutes later to round out the scoring.
Olivera is the second LAFC player this month, joining Filip Krastev, to score on his debut for the club.
Eric Dueñas was credited with an assist on Olivera's goal. That was the first assist of his MLS career, coming in his 18th league appearance for the club.
Denis Bouanga assisted on a pair of LAFC goals on the night. He now has seven goals and three assists in his last seven games in all competitions dating back to July 8.
This was the first multi-assist game of his MLS career.
Bouanga had a game-high six shots in the game. He now has an MLS-high 95 shots on the season.
John McCarthy finished the game with four saves for his eighth clean sheet of the season. In his last four MLS games, McCarthy has two shutouts and has allowed just two goals while making nine saves.
LAFC now have nine shutouts in MLS this season. That is the second-most in the league behind Seattle's 11.
Mario Gonzalez started and played 74 minutes up front for LAFC for his MLS debut. He was second on the club with four shots, all of which came in the opening nine minutes.
Major League Soccer Stories from August 24, 2023
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- FC Cincinnati's Run in U.S. Open Cup Ends in Penalty Kick Shootout Defeat to Inter Miami CF - FC Cincinnati
- Inter Miami CF Advances to U.S. Open Cup Final with Win Over FC Cincinnati - Inter Miami CF
- Navarro, Tavares Make Rapids Debuts, Colorado Falls in Rescheduled LAFC Match - Colorado Rapids
- LAFC Return to MLS Play with Convincing 4-0 Win Over Colorado - Los Angeles FC
- Houston Dynamo FC Advance to Face Inter Miami CF in the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup Final - Houston Dynamo FC
- Real Salt Lake Crash Out of 2023 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with 3-1 Extra Time Loss at Houston - Real Salt Lake
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