Columbus sink LAFC to win MLS crown for third time

A penalty from Cucho Hernandez and goal from Yaw Yeboah gave the Crew a 2-0 lead at the interval before Denis Bouanga pulled a goal back for LAFC in the 74th minute.

In what may have been the final game before retirement for former Italy captain Giorgio Chiellini and possibly a last appearance for LAFC for Mexican star Carlos Vela, last year's champions were convincingly beaten.

Columbus, coached by little-known Frenchman Wilfried Nancy, dominated the game for long stretches while Steve Cherundolo's LAFC were unable to unleash their trademark counter-attacks.

After a frantic start, in front of a loud, capacity 20,802 home crowd, Columbus quickly settled into their possession game thanks to the calming influence of veteran midfielder Darlington Nagbe.

French defender Steven Moreira had the first real opening, in the 16th minute, but his disappointing header from a promising position in the box was off target. The Crew's roaming Colombian striker Hernandez sent a reminder of his goal threat with a shot from 20 yards out which flashed wide of the post.

Uruguayan attacking midfielder Diego Rossi was increasingly influential as he began to find spaces behind Hernandez and he went close in the 27th minute with a shot into the side-netting.

The pressure on the Los Angeles defence was building but when the Crew broke through it was via a sightly fortunate penalty award. Yaw Yeboah crossed from the left, Rossi flicked the ball up in the air and it struck the shoulder of Diego Palacios and then his arm.

Referee Armando Villarreal had no hesitation pointing to the spot and Hernandez buried the penalty into the bottom corner to make it 1-0 in the 33rd minute. Within four minutes the Crew doubled their lead with a goal of perfect simplicity.

 

December 10, 2023

Danish defender Malte Amundsen played a pinpoint defence splitting pass to Ghanaian Yeboah who sped around the back of Ryan Hollingshead before poking home with the outside of his left-foot.

The Crew fans, many of whom had been chanting in the stadium over two hours before kick off, were ecstatic and LAFC, who had created next to nothing for the league's top scorer Denis Bouanga, looked shell-shocked.

There was some encouragement though for the constantly singing black-clad visiting Los Angeles supporters on the stroke of half-time when a low cross from Cristian Olivera was almost sliced into his own goal by Crew defender Rudy Carmacho.

Columbus continued to dominate after the break though with the livewire Yeboah, skipping past two defenders as he weaved into the box, chipping over the advancing LA keeper Max Crepeau only for Palacios to head off the line.

There were signs that Columbus were starting to tire a little heading into the final 20 minutes with mistakes creeping into their game and LAFC sensed it, pushing forward with more urgency.

A burst of pace from Bouanga got him behind the defence but his low ball across the face of the goal went untouched. Moments later the French-born Gabon international got his team back into the game - a right foot shot inside the box was parried by Patrick Schulte but Bouanga reacted swiftly and buried the loose ball.

But the Crew were not for crumbling, responding positively - Diego Rossi scuffing a chance to make it 3-1 and substitute Christian Ramirez appealing in vain for a penalty after bursting into the box.

The Crew held firm in seven minutes of added time to set off a party as the Ohio crowd celebrated a third title following their triumphs in 2008 and 2020.

 

December 9, 2023