2023-04-05
With a brace from Denis Bouanga and one more from Kwandwo Opoku, Los Angeles FC, team led by Honduran Denil Maldonado, beat Vancouver FC 3-0 this Wednesday in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the 2023 Concacaf Champions League played in Vancouver.
After a first half in which both squares were scoreless, LAFC came out aggressive in the second half and on 55 minutes Bouanga scored the first with a shot from midrange outside the box to beat Japanese goalkeeper Takaoka.
Shortly after, at 61, the second for the Los Angeles team came when Opoku finished softly from the left from the center of the small area.
Bouanga signed the double in the 65th minute with a shot from the left after Timothy Tillman’s cross.
It should be mentioned that Denil Maldonado was on the bench in this commitment and had no participation.
This key between MLS teams will close on April 11 at the BMO stadium in Los Angeles. The winner will meet in the semifinals of the Concacaf Champions League against Atlas de México or Philadelphia, who won 1-0 in the first leg.
The Canadian squad had qualified by thrashing Real España from Honduras while the American team gave an account of Alajuelense from Costa Rica.
In the nascent 2023 MLS season, Los Angeles FC is fighting for the top spots in the Western Conference, while the Whitecaps are in the middle of the table, near the bottom.
Datasheet:
Estadio: BC Place (Vancouver)
Referee: Fernando Guerrero Ramírez (MEX)
Goals:
LAFC: Denis Bouanga (55-65), Kwandwo Opoku (61)
Lineups:
Vancouver: Yohei Takaoka – Tristan Blackmon, Javain Brown, Ranko Veselinovic, Ryan Raposo (Luis Martins, 68) – Adrián Cubas, Ryan Gauld (Pedro Vite, 68), Russell Teibert (Ali Ahmed, 62) – Julian Gressel (Sebastian Berhalter, 79 ), Brian White and Cristián Dájome (Simón Becher, 62). DT: Vanni Santini.
LAFCJohn McCarthy – Ryan Hollingshead, Diego Palacios, Aaron Long, Jesus Murillo – Timothy Tillman (69), Kellyn Acosta, Ilie Sanchez – Kwadwo Opoku (69), Denis Bouanga (Sergi Palencia (83) and Carlos Vela. DT: Steven Cherundolo.