Where do I start?
LAFC scored twice in stoppage time to steal three points in San Jose. The Black & Gold engineered not one comeback, but two in this match. Adama Diomande scored his first brace for LAFC, which included the match-tying goal in the 90th minute. And a rookie got the match-winner.
Let's not waste anymore time, and get right into the takeaways from this one:
Monster Responses
Down 1-0. Then up 2-1. Back down 3-2. Then two goals in stoppage time. And a 4-3 win. Ok, catch your breath.
With all the errors, the adversity of being on the road, and the strain of going four matches without a win, LAFC responded exactly how Bob Bradley would have wanted: they kept playing their football. When Dio scored in the 90th minute, you saw the spark. And as the Black & Gold looked unsatisfied with just a point, you knew the only thing that could stop LAFC was time running out.
But what a finish. After knotting the match at 3-3, LAFC continued to pass and pour forward. They went from inside to outside, to back inside on the Latif Blessing's cutback to the top of the box, and just like that, LAFC found a winner.
What a monster effort by LAFC.
Joâo Steals It
João Moutinho, you picked a heck of a time to get your first MLS goal.
The No. 1 pick’s shot must have had eyes. Somehow it found its way through a mass of legs. And with it, sent all three points back to LA.
Not Atuesta’s Best Night
I sometimes forget that Eduard Atuesta is just 20 years old. The Colombian’s movement on the pitch and all-around soccer IQ isn’t what you’d expect from such a young player. But that being said, Saturday was not his night.
LAFC don’t play with a dedicated No. 6 per se. The three of Atuesta, Mark-Anthony Kaye, and Benny Feilhaber have a fluid rotation around the pitch, but more often than not, it’s Atuesta in front of the Black & Gold backline. And he was MIA for long stretches.
On SJ’s first goal, an ill-advised step forward led to SJ bypassing the midfielder and a free run at the LAFC defense. Atuesta tracked back but didn’t follow his runner, or pass him off effectively, and Vako scored. And on the second goal… well, let’s just say his “attempt” at a tackle when Wondolowski hit the brakes isn’t how you defend in transition.
Bradley removed Atuesta before the hour mark in favor a 2-and-1 setup in midfield with Feilhaber and Kaye deep, and Lee Nguyen in an advanced role.
Self-Inflicted Wounds
Didn’t it seem like the genesis of every San Jose goal was a misstep by LAFC? A slip here, the ball wrongfooting an attacker there, a really sloppy pass to your keeper…
It’s no consolation in the moment these things happen, but the problems don’t feel like they are systemic. It may be an instance of death by a thousand tiny cuts, as I feel like we could apply this to one too many matches lately. But it feels like these things can be remedied. Sometimes a comeback like this is the catalyst a team needs.
We Could Hear You From LA
To the LAFC Supporters that made the trip to San Jose, we heard you.
The broadcast sounded oddly familiar. Actually, it sounded almost like an LAFC home match. You were all loud and clear. And with support like that, LAFC is going to feel at home anywhere it goes.
I'll let John Thorrington have the last words on this one. After the match, he said this via text:
"Our fans are incredible, they deserved that win."
