The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) advanced to the quarterfinals of the Concacaf Champions League despite a 2-1 home loss to Costa Rica’s LD Alajuelense. LAFC won the series 4-2 on aggregate after winning the first leg of the series 3-0 in Costa Rica last week.
Alajuelense scored in the opening 10 minutes of each half, to cut the aggregate score to 3-2, but LAFC was able to put the series out of reach with an 83rd minute goal from Carlos Vela to give the series its final 4-2 scoreline. Vela now has six goals in six Concacaf Champions League matches with LAFC.
NEWS & NOTES
- This was LAFC’s first defeat in all competitions of 2023. The club had won each of its first three games this year.
- LAFC scored just one goal in the game. This was the first time this year that they did not score multiple goals in a game.
- LAFC outshot Alajuelense 26-12 on the night and had eight shots on target compared to seven for the visitors.
- LAFC is now 4-3-0 all-time in the Champions League, having also reached the Final in 2020.
- This is LAFC’s second trip to the Concacaf Champions League. The club has reached the quarterfinals on each occasion.
- Carlos Vela scored LAFC’s only goal of the game in the 83rd minute. He now has six goals in six Champions League matches with LAFC.
- Vela and Diego Palacios are the only two LAFC players to appear in all six of the clubs’ Champions League matches.
- Giorgio Chillini was the only LAFC player to be booked in the game. As a result, the club goes to the quarterfinals with just Chiellini and Jesus Murillo on yellow cards.
In the quarterfinals, LAFC will face the reigning Canadian Championship winners, Vancouver Whitecaps, who advanced to the quarterfinals with a 7-3 aggregate win over Real Espana of Honduras. The first leg of the two-leg, aggregate goal quarterfinal series will be played between April 4-6 with the second leg between April 11-13.
LAFC returns to MLS action on Saturday, March 18 when it travels north to face Seattle Sounders FC. That game will kick off at 1 p.m. and can be seen live for free through MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app and on FOX.
