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To my knowledge, there isn’t a name for what LAFC accomplished on Wednesday night. I’m referring specifically to scoring in the first minute, not allowing a goal for the subsequent 89 minutes, and winning. It’s one of those oddities in sports – an event so specific and niche, it’s crying out for a clever nickname. I’ve got nothing.
After the match, Steve Cherundolo called it “a small step forward” for his team. Satisfied with the three points, he knows his team can perform at an even higher level. And while that has the specificity I’m looking for, it’s not really catchy.
It also makes me rethink my initial thought about that type of match. I was thinking along the lines of “the perfect game.” Maybe it’s the Italian in me but scoring early and then successfully defending a clean sheet the entirety of the match’s remainder just feels efficient – I’m sure Giorgio Chiellini would agree. But I also think a team would also need to hold its opponent without a single shot for that name to stick. So, that’s out.
On the night, Seattle was able to carve out a couple of clear chances in the first half. While LAFC had a second goal negated after a VAR review adjudged José Cifuentes to have handled the ball on its way into the back of the Sounders’ net. And Mahala missed a sitter to put a bookend on the match with nearly the final kick of the game.
Cherundolo is right. It was far from perfect. And I’m still searching for a clever name. If you’ve got one, let me know.
Here are the Takeaways from LAFC’s 1-0 win over Seattle:
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The Flash
Have you ever wondered how they calculate the quickest goals in history? I’ve thought about it myself. Is it when it hits the back of the net? Is someone in a control tower with a stopwatch? Does the ball have a sensor and a clock inside?
Well, I asked, and it’s a lot simpler. After watching countless replays to determine the exact moment the ball crossed the goal line, Mateusz Bogusz’s shot from 23 yards clocked in at 54 seconds – the second-quickest goal in LAFC history.
The goal was brutally efficient. A deflected pass from the touchline found the feet of LAFC center back Denil Maldonado. In space between Seattle’s attackers and defending block, Bogusz has the time to scan over his left shoulder and signal to Maldonado for the ball, before turning upfield and combining with Mahala to carve open the Sounders.
It was a position Bogusz found himself in often throughout the match as the more attacking of LAFC’s three midfielders.
“It’s an interesting position for him. Kind of playing between lines,” Cherundolo said of Bogusz after the match. “It’s tough for teams to get ahold of him.”
Bogusz has filled multiple roles for LAFC by necessity – winger, striker, central midfielder – since arriving from Spain. But this might be his best, giving him more chances to combine with teammates and use his creativity and dribbling ability to put opponents under pressure. He’s also diligent in tracking back on the defensive side, although he can be cleaner with his tackles after giving up a few set-piece opportunities in his own half against Seattle.
The goal will buoy his confidence. I think we’ll be seeing Bogusz line up as a midfielder more often going forward.
Danger Out Wide
Despite going down a goal in the first minute, Brian Schmetzer’s team stuck to the game plan. The Sounders set up in a 3-4-2-1 shape on the night with the wingbacks hugging the touchlines.
Seattle’s intentions became very clear after the opening goal. Raúl Ruidíaz occupied center backs Denil Maldonado and Giorgio Chiellini. The attacking duo of Albert Rusnák and Nico Lodeiro looked to poke holes in the LAFC backline by running in the half spaces in between the center backs and fullbacks Ryan Hollingshead and Diego Palacios. But ultimately, it was the space created for wingback Léo Chú on Seattle’s left that caused the most problems.
Chú was more winger than wingback most of the night. The Sounders isolated him 1v1 to take advantage of his speed and dribbling ability around the edges of the LAFC defense. He created two dangerous chances for Ruidíaz by beating his marker to the byline and cutting the ball back across the penalty area. Luckily, LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy was up to the task in both instances.
LAFC controlled more of the ball in the second half. Unable to run at the LAFC backline with the ball at his feet, Chú’s influence waned. And with it, so did much of Seattle’s attacking threat on the night.
The Old Master
In his third 90-minute performance of the MLS regular season, Giorgio Chiellini was up to his usual tricks.
We might think of him as a rough and rugged defender, capable of marking an entire squad out of any single match, and he is that, but he’s also one of the most creative passers of the ball.
At times pushed 20 yards into Seattle’s half, the center back displayed an array of passes. Incisive through balls against the grain, lofted chips hit delicately over the top of the defense, and even an outside-of-the-boot pass hit with a gentle fade into the path of an onrushing attacker. Chiellini is like a golfer with an array of clubs in his bag. If opponents give him the time and space to pick his shot, he’ll put it on a dime every time.
Room To Improve
My question postmatch about Mahala’s performance prompted an overarching response regarding his team from Steve Cherundolo.
Returning from his red card suspension, Mahala provided LAFC with a thrust in attack. Seattle’s mid to high block controlled LAFC’s buildup at times and forced the Black & Gold into predictable areas. Mahala provided an outlet from the front line. His ball progression and combination in tight spaces got LAFC out of a few jams and into attacking advantages.
Cherundolo dubbed Mahala’s performance as “very good” between the boxes and added a handful of players joined him in that regard. But the LAFC head coach noted that’s not the measuring stick.
“Our final product and chance creation and finishing those chances is how we judge attackers in the modern game,” Cherundolo added.
LAFC takes the pitch again on Saturday against Vancouver before getting a full week to prepare for a match for the first time in over a month. Rest will help. But don’t underestimate time on the training pitch, something LAFC has been seriously lacking as the team has been in almost constant recovery mode during this congested schedule.
Cherundolo yearns for that time. A chance to work on the finer details and address weaknesses. Even going as far as saying he and the coaching staff have almost forgotten how to put on a full training session. It’s been that long.
The hope is in that time period the “small step” becomes a leap forward. Sitting alone atop the Western Conference, LAFC wants more.
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