LAFC’s bid to reach the Western Conference Final for the third time in four years ended at BC Place in Vancouver, as the Whitecaps survived a second-half comeback by the Black & Gold and emerged the victors on penalties following 30 minutes of scoreless extra time. The final score – 2(4)-2(3) in favor of the second-seeded Whitecaps – tells a fraction of the story of an emotional thriller that pushed each team to its limit and sends the Whitecaps to the MLS Western Conference Final for the first time in club history.
Playing in front of a record crowd of more than 53,000 fans, the home side jumped out to a 2-0 halftime lead through goals from Emmanuel Sabbi (39’) and Mathías Laborda (45’+1) before LAFC responded with attacking substitutions at the break, and two second-half goals that tied the match.
Coaching what would prove to be his final game for LAFC, Steve Cherundolo brought on Andrew Moran and David Martínez to begin the second half, and Moran responded in the 60th minute by heading a lofted pass to Son Heung-Min at the mouth of the goal. After two blocked shots, Son’s third chance crossed the line to pull LAFC within one goal, 2-1.
That score held until second-half stoppage time, when Vancouver defender Tristan Blackmon was sent off after being shown his second yellow card. Blackmon’s foul set up a free kick from Son just outside the area that the South Korean superstar placed perfectly into the top left corner to equalize the match 2-2.
In the two 15-minute extra-time periods, playing a man up due to Blackmon’s red card, LAFC created several chances, then created even more over the final eight minutes, after Vancouver defender Belal Halbouni went off due to injury and left his side with just nine men on the pitch. In the 122nd minute, LAFC hit the goal frame three times in five seconds when Martínez’s shot was saved off the crossbar, then Denis Bouanga hit the woodwork twice on a pair of rebound attempts.
The match went to a decisive penalty shootout, which Vancouver won, 4-3.
NOTES
- The result, officially a draw, leaves LAFC with a record of 11W-6L-2D all-time in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including a 10W-3L-2D mark under Cherundolo.
- The winningest coach in LAFC history and the winningest coach in MLS since he joined the Black & Gold in January 2022, Cherundolo saw his final season in charge of the club come to a close on Saturday night. The 46-year-old former Bundesliga and USMNT standout announced earlier this year that he would step down and return to Germany with his family at the end of this season.
- LAFC stands as the only MLS team to reach the conference semifinals in each of the past four years (2022-2025).
- LAFC had eliminated Vancouver from the MLS Cup Playoffs in 2023 and 2024, both times in their Round One Best-of-3 series.
- Son’s two goals were his 11th and 12th for LAFC since he debuted with the club on August 9, and his second and third MLS postseason goals.
