LOS ANGELES — In a blowout that featured the Los Angeles Football Club debut for famed French striker Olivier Giroud, the Black & Gold emphatically punched their ticket to the quarterfinal round of the Leagues Cup.
Dismantling the San Jose Earthquakes, 4-1, on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium, LAFC’s usual suspects – Dénis Bouanga, Cristian Olivera and Mateusz Bogusz – each scored prior to Giroud’s appearance off the bench in the 71st minute.
LAFC’s new Designated Player did not have much to do while he got his first taste of action in L.A., but thanks to his teammates he didn’t need to do much to make it a good night for the announced crowd of 14,911.
Though the match took on an attacking flare, LAFC once again leaned into its goal-stopping prowess.
Maxime Chanot, one of three center backs starting in front of goalkeeper Hugo Lloris on Tuesday, ushered away what might have been a dangerous through-ball deep in the LAFC box in the fourth minute. That was the first of several well-timed slide tackles from LAFC players that thwarted San Jose’s efforts in the box.
The two teams took turns seeking space behind the opposing back line before LAFC found the room it wanted and struck in the 17th minute.
Capitalizing on a poor clearance in the visitors’ half of the field, Ryan Hollingshead, who joined Sergi Palencia as a wingback flanking the three-man back line, rushed forward to win a 50-50 ball allowing Cristian Olivera to take a touch and beat an Earthquakes defender.
The move gave Olivera a free run at San Jose goalkeeper William Yarbrough, and the Uruguayan coolly finished his fourth goal of the competition.
The Earthquakes nearly equalized in the 25th minute when Jeremy Ebobisse found space between Jesus Murillo and Palencia on the left, giving forward Amahl Pellegrino a chance to strike a first-time half-volley, which he did perfectly.
Lloris, however, read the shot and reacted as well as anyone could by diving to his left and parrying away the attempt before collecting the ball.
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LAFC almost doubled its lead before San Jose got on the board, first with a quality chance in front of goal for Mateusz Bogusz that went over the bar and then a line drive by Bouanga from 30 yards out. But the visitors, who entered Leagues Cup as the worst team in MLS by nine points, got back into the game in the 41st minute when Hernán López redirected a cross out of Lloris’ reach.
Before the break, LAFC grabbed the lead once more off a combination play that freed midfielder Eduard Atuesta against the Earthquakes’ goalkeeper, who clipped the Colombian’s heel and set up a penalty kick that Bouanga converted.
LAFC then put the game away after the 1-hour mark when Bogusz struck a dipping shot from 25 yards that handcuffed Yarbrough. Five minutes later, Bouanga added his second goal when a pass into space by Olivera allowed the French winger room to dance, which he did by cutting to his left and putting a cap on the scoreline.
Olivera and Bouanga each have four goals in the competition, tying them for second most.
Following the group stage and two knockout games, LAFC will depart BMO Stadium for the first time in the competition when the team visits the Seattle Sounders on Saturday.
LAFC will be spending quite a bit of time in the Pacific Northwest the rest of this month. In addition to the Leagues Cup match, the team has an MLS match at Vancouver the following weekend (Aug. 24) before a U.S. Open Cup semifinal back in Seattle on Aug. 28.
More to come on this story.
He loves to score in Leagues Cup
Cristian Olivera with the moves and finish to give us the lead.#LAFCvSJ 1-0 pic.twitter.com/7PJF8t4FjR
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 14, 2024
Automatic @BouangaDenis buries the penalty kick, we’re back in the lead.#LAFCvSJ 2-1 pic.twitter.com/o2M2JnBmqe
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 14, 2024
Bogusz. Banger.
Mateusz Bogusz adds another to his collection.#LAFCvSJ pic.twitter.com/BVpHoUr6zk
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 14, 2024
Olivier Giroud steps on the field for the first time in Black & Gold.
Watch his debut with #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 14, 2024
Denis does it again!@BouangaDenis smoothly scores his second after a great assist from Olivera.#LAFCvSJ 4-1 pic.twitter.com/NBmazVWkeg
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 14, 2024