LAFC stay unbeaten in MLS with SCCL QFs looming | OneFootball

MIAMI, Florida – Next week the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League will resume with the first leg matches of the quarterfinal round, but in action over the weekend were the three remaining teams from Major League Soccer (MLS) that are still in the tournament, along with Liga MX side Club Leon.

Los Angeles FC enjoyed the best result of the weekend with a 2-1 home victory over Western Conference rivals FC Dallas.

LAFC had a quick start and got the game’s first goal in just the third minute of play, as Timothy Tillman was able to take advantage of an FC Dallas defensive miscue and fired into net for a 1-0 lead.

FC Dallas were able to find an equalizer in the 73’, but LAFC would not be denied, and even after Carlos Vela failed to convert a penalty in the 80’, the home side would still get a winning goal in the 84’ through Denis Bouanga, who scored from the narrowest of angles to make it a 2-1 final.

The Vancouver Whitecaps showed great character in rescuing a 1-1 draw at Minnesota United on Saturday night. Minnesota United scored late in the first half and held that 1-0 advantage going into second half stoppage time.

However, in the dying moments, the Canadian visitors tallied the equalizer on a lunging stab from Simon Becher in the 90+8’ to come away with a hard-earned point.

The other SCCL participant in action was the Philadelphia Union, who were left frustrated in a 2-1 home defeat to Orlando City SC.

It was a slow start for the Union, as Orlando City twice found the back of the net inside the first 10 minutes, putting Philadelphia in a 2-0 hole.

Andres Perea brought the Union back to within a goal at 2-1 in the 17’ when he followed up his own header that had hit the post with an easy sweep into net.

Philadelphia had their chances to pull even the rest of the way, but were unable to find a second, resulting in the defeat.

There was just one game over the weekend in Liga MX and it involved SCCL quarterfinalist Club Leon, who picked up a 2-1 win at Mazatlan.

An error in the back from Mazatlan allowed Fidel Ambriz an open shot inside the area and the 20-year-old scored with ease to make it 1-0 in just the second minute.

Mazatlan responded with a goal to pull level at 1-1 in the 11’, but the three points would go to Club Leon with Brian Rubio notching the winning score in the 80’ with an excellent left-footed strike, giving Club Leon their fourth straight win and catapulting them to second in the table with a 7W-3D-2L record.