“We Are L.A. Strong!”
(East Los Angeles, CA) [From The Editor’s Desk]: The early 6/29/25 Sunday summer evening provided a very comfortable light-wearing attire for all fans. The temperature at “kick-off” was still a pleasant 78°. With all things considered, it was still an excellent night for MLS competition at the “Place To Be In L.A.” — BMO Stadium.
The Club’s match theme was “Celebrating Pride” and it took place just before the end of the designated month of June.
[PRE-MATCH NOTES]: Vancouver arrived in the City of the Angels with an overall record of (11W-3L-5D = 38 points) and was good for second place, just behind San Diego FC by one match. They were led into BMO Stadium by Head Coach Jesper Serensen.
LAFC returned home after competing in the FIFA Club World Cup tournament with a rather sub-average performance by fan consensus, finishing in its group play with a (0W-2L-1D) record. After nearly a two-week departure from their vigorous MLS season, the Black & Gold entered this Western Conference match with their overall record of (7W-5L-5D=26 points), placing them in the #7 slot of the standings.
This match marked the final appearance in the Black & Gold uniform for the French forward, #9 Olivier Giroud, who agreed to mutually part ways with the team. Giroud made this statement to the LAFC fanbase: “I want to thank all of the fans, my teammates, and the staff at LAFC for making this an enjoyable stop in my career,” Giroud said. “I am happy to have played a part in the success of LAFC. From winning a trophy last season to participating in the Club World Cup, this has been a great experience in L.A. for me and my family.”
[LAFC STARTING XI]: #18 David Ochoa, Goalkeeper; #4 Eddie Segura; #33 Aaron Long (Capt.); #14 Sergi Palencia; #29 Artem Smolyakov; #23 Frankie Amaya; #11 Timothy Tillman; #6 Igor Jesus; #99 Denis Bouanga; #28 Javierô Dilrosun; and #9 Olivier Giroud
[MATCH SUMMARY]
[REFEREE]: Jon Freeman
[1st HALF]: Although the Black & Gold’s Head Coach, Steve Cherundolo dispatched a brand new starting XI onto the BMO pitch, the first (19:00) minutes of the match were played very evenly, with lots of defense present and accounted for, but on the other hand, very little offense in an all-out “attack” format.
Pushing and pulling was the best way to describe the action on the pitch by both teams. But like a lightning bolt hitting earth when not expected, it did precisely that when Vancouver Forward, #11 Emmanuel Sabbi, found himself unmarked after receiving a clutch pass from his teammate on the left attacking wing, and then fired his shot true and past LAFC goalkeeper, #18 David Ochoa, who started in place of Hugo Lloris. Undoubtedly, Lloris certainly could have used a day off with so many more matches left to play. This goal gave the Whitecaps the first score of the match that came at the (19:42) mark of the first half. The rest of the period was played like a great “Cat and Mouse” game, with both sides doing their best to respect, yet at the same time, intimidate each other while battling their opponent.
[aigpl-gallery-slider id=”139522″][PHOTO GALLERY]: East L.A. Sports Scene Productions, By: Frankli Robles, Lead Photographer
[HALF-TIME SCORE]: Vancouver Whitecaps 1 LAFC 0
[2nd HALF]: The period picked up where it left off, and nothing seemed to click for the home team. The visitors continued to apply much defensive pressure on the Black & Gold, keeping them from establishing their trademark and explosive offense, led by their best offensive weapon, forward #99 Denis Bouanga. Unfortunately, there was no appreciable momentum spike upwards in the LAFC offense. There were several “oooohs and ahhhhs” from the supportive North End crowd and El Grupo 3252, but nothing that sparked or lit up an aggressive fire in the team’s offensive rhythms.
Glimpses of good offense appeared off and on with the best chance to score coming on a “1-on-1” breakaway when #9 Olivier Giroud sprinted clear from the pack in the center of the pitch, took a few more dribbles, and then took a very unorthodox shot which flew directly over the goal and into the crowd. A big groan from the crowd could be heard in BMO.
That attempt came at the (50:00) minute mark. There would not be much more Black & Gold fan-pleasing offense from that point to the very end of the encounter. Much credit must be given to the Whitecaps for thoroughly neutralizing Denis Bouanga as he was never a major scoring threat during the match.
[FULL-TIME SCORE]: Vancouver Whitecaps FC 1 LAFC 0 [ATTENDANCE]: 23,350
[OF SIGNIFICANCE]: The LAFC lineup was quite different from the first 13 matches, but still necessary for Manager Steve Cherundolo to utilize his roster to its best capabilities during the regular season matchups. The length of the MLS season, with all its big and high-stakes twists and turns, can exact an unwanted toll on a team, especially when it comes to injuries, whether major or minor, that are sustained by its key and most valuable players.
[NEW SCHEDULING UPDATE]: The Austin FC “road” match that was scheduled for last Saturday, 7/5, was postponed due to the severe weather conditions and the deadly flooding that occurred in Texas. The MLS has stated that the new day and time for the match will be announced at a later date.
[NEXT UP]: Wednesday, July 9th, vs. Colorado Rapids, 7:30 pm at BMO Stadium. The match will be shown on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, and broadcast on ESPN Radio, 710 AM and 980 AM “La Mera La Mera” en Español.
[SPECIAL FAN REMINDER]: This match will re-air locally in Los Angeles on Friday, July 11, at 10 p.m. on FOX 11 Plus (KCOP-TV Ch. 13), where fans can also watch LAFC Weekly, a 30-minute magazine show that gives viewers an in-depth look at the Black & Gold.
