2024-08-19 00:30:03
LAFC advanced to the semifinals of Leagues Cup for the first time in club history with a comprehensive 3-0 road win over the Seattle Sounders on Saturday evening at Lumen Field in Seattle. Ryan Hollingshead and Kei Kamara each scored first-half goals before Denis Bouanga added his 11th of the competition after the break to become the all-time leading scorer in Leagues Cup’s two-year history.
LAFC will host the Colorado Rapids in the semifinals on Wednesday, Aug. 21, at BMO Stadium with the winner advancing to the Leagues Cup Final, which will be played on Sunday, Aug. 25.
Just as it had in knockout-round wins over Austin FC and San Jose, LAFC went in front inside the game’s opening 20 minutes. A Maxime Chanot long ball from inside his own half found Hollingshead sprinting in behind the Seattle defense down the left wing. Hollingshead settled the ball and placed a right-footed shot past Seattle goalkeeper Stefan Frei, giving LAFC a 1-0 lead in the 14th minute.
Kamara doubled that lead 11 minutes later, acrobatically volleying a poor clearance from the Sounders defense past Frei to make the score 2-0.
Less than 10 minutes into the second half, LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who registered his third shutout in four Leagues Cup appearances, claimed a through ball inside the Black & Gold penalty area and quickly punted the ball forward for Bouanga to start the counterattack. Bouanga collected the punt just beyond the center circle before outrunning two Seattle defenders and hammering a right-footed shot off the post and into the net to seal LAFC’s 3-0 victory.
