November is a time to push for MLS’ greatest prize, and a time to give thanks for the Black & Gold’s most momentous postseason victories. The LAFC.com Editorial Team narrowed down the long list to the following handful of favorites:
5. LAFC 1-0 Vancouver
November 8, 2024
Los Angeles, CA
It says a lot about this game that it made the Top 5 while LAFC’s Western Conference Final victories over Austin in 2022 and Houston in 2023 did not.
LAFC’s Game 3 win over the Whitecaps earlier this month, which ended their Round One Best-of-3 Series and advanced the Black & Gold into this weekend’s Conference Semifinal, carried plenty of drama headed into it. LAFC was on the brink, having just lost 3-0 to Vancouver in Game 2 to tie the series. An upset at home would have ended the number-one seed’s season.
Steve Cherundolo conceded after the series that Vanni Sartini’s relentless side and its blend of unique skillsets is “one of those teams that we match up not so great against. It's very difficult for us to beat them.” That held true over the match’s first 61 minutes, until LAFC’s counterpress forced a long pass toward midfield that Black & Gold defender Aaron Long headed toward the Caps goal after muscling past striker Brian White.
Long’s long ball was deflected onto the feet of Mateusz Bogusz, who had played six different positions in 2024 and was now in the position of scoring the breakthrough goal in a 0-0 knockout game. Max Bretos’ “In one end and out the other!” broadcast call is the best description of the move the 23-year-old Poland product pulled off to free himself in the penalty area and slot the matchwinner past the Caps’ keeper.
Thirty minutes still remained, but Long and his fellow defenders did not allow another shot on goal—and the final whistle meant that LAFC had advanced to its third straight Western Conference Semifinal. The celebration in the North End of BMO Stadium felt like a final had just been won.
“We know what we can do in big games,” Cherundolo said, “and that's what we saw in the second half.”
4. Seattle 0-1 LAFC
November 26, 2023
Seattle, WA
The Sounders had played 19 straight home playoff matches without a loss headed into their 2023 Western Conference Semifinal matchup against LAFC. Smart money said that the higher-seeded home side would make it 20 straight.
The opening minutes were played in LAFC’s defensive half, with Seattle applying pressure and LAFC’s goalie at the time, Max Crépeau, making two sprawling saves to keep the score tied 0-0.
Playing out of the back in the 30th minute, midfielder Timmy Tillman played an ambitious diagonal pass that winger Cristian Olivera dummied so that 2023 Golden Boot winner Denis Bouanga could run onto it at pace, with only green turf and a goalie in front of him. Forty yards and six Bouanga touches later the ball zipped past Seattle keeper Stefan Frei and into the back of the net. The crowd of 33,649 fell so silent that Bouanga’s celebratory scream could be heard by the mob of LAFC supporters in the upper deck who had traveled north for the match.
LAFC spent most of the rest of the match protecting its goal from Sounders hunting for the equalizer. Crépeau, who had recently returned to LAFC’s lineup after breaking his leg in the 2022 Cup Final (see below), made several more saves to keep Seattle scoreless.
Achieved on the road, against a higher seed, in 40-degree weather, and on Lumen Field’s uncomfortable artificial surface, this might be LAFC’s most improbable playoff win, one that propelled LAFC toward its second straight MLS Cup Final at the expense of a strong, confident, and worthy rival.
3. LAFC 3-2 Galaxy
October 20, 2022
Los Angeles, CA
For the second time in four years, the LAFC-Galaxy “El Trafico” rivalry spilled into the playoffs, making for an especially electric night in the Heart of LA. Bouanga, who had joined LAFC just two months earlier, scored on either side of halftime in a wild affair that would see three goals scored after the 80th minute.
The match was tied 2-2 in stoppage time when LAFC mounted another attack. A wayward pass from Diego Palacios looked destined to cross the end line for a Galaxy goal kick, but forward Mahala Opoku chased it anyway. In perhaps the most unappreciated moment of LAFC’s 2022 MLS Cup run, Opoku pressured Galaxy defender Séga Coulibaly into tapping it out of bounds, turning a goal kick into a corner kick.
Seconds later, Kellyn Acosta sent a nearly perfect corner into the danger area. Bouanga’s volley was saved by a diving Jonathan Bond, then was knocked in by Chicho Arango, who climbed into the stands to celebrate with friends, family, and a capacity crowd of 22,305. The only postseason stoppage-time matchwinner in LAFC history, Arango’s goal pushed LAFC into the Western Conference Final for the second time in club history, and toward its first ever MLS Cup title.
2. LAFC 5-3 Galaxy
October 24, 2019
Los Angeles, CA
It stands today as one of the most magical and memorable nights in LAFC history, but headed into it there were nerves and the heavy weight of expectation.
The Black & Gold had made the playoffs in LAFC’s inaugural 2018 season, and had just reeled off the greatest regular season in MLS history—setting league records for points, goals, and goal differential and running away with the 2019 Supporters’ Shield. The club had yet to win a playoff game, however, and had yet to defeat its crosstown rival in their five previous meetings.
In a matchup of the league’s top two goal scorers, Carlos Vela (34 goals) and the Galaxy’s Zlatan Ibrahimovic (30), league MVP Vela tallied two goals and assisted on a third to lead his fledgling club to the Western Conference Final less than two years after playing its first game.
1. LAFC 3-3 Philadelphia (3-0 PKs)
November 5, 2022
Los Angeles, CA
A 2-0 defensive chess match of a win would have been fine. It probably would have finished number one on this list as well. But no, the soccer gods provided us with a Shakespearean tragedy turned triumph in which – (inhales deeply) – LAFC took a late 2-1 lead only to have it snatched away then have its record-setting goalkeeper shatter his leg to keep hope alive before he was replaced by a Philly guy and then playing down a man LAFC called on a recently acquired European legend to perform past his physical capability and rescue them which Gareth Frank Bale promptly did with a miraculous header before the Philly Kid replacement goalie stopped all three Union penalties in the deciding shootout to seal the Cup. (gasps for air)
Banners hang forever.
LAFC will host Seattle Sounders FC on Saturday, November 23, at 7:30 p.m. PT at BMO Stadium in the Audi 2024 MLS Cup Playoffs Western Conference Semifinals. The match will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 710 AM ESPN LA, the ESPN LA app, and 980 AM La Mera Mera.
