LAFC extends its unbeaten streak to six games in shutout win over Seattle
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The weather is starting to heat up and so is LAFC, which ran its unbeaten streak to a season-best six games Wednesday with a 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at BMO Stadium.
The four goals, which marked a season high for LAFC, came from Cengiz Under, Jeremy Ebobisse, Denis Bouanga and Yaw Yeboah, and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made three saves to earn his second clean sheet in three games. It was his league-leading sixth shutout of the season.
LAFC went in front to stay in the 26th minute on Under’s second MLS goal, a left-footed strike from well outside the box that appeared to hit a Seattle defender before one-hopping past keeper Andrew Thomas, who was making his second start of the season.
The Illinois native who grew up San Diego and played professionally in Germany is ready to reconnect “with the European game and coaching in Europe.”
The Sounders came within inches of matching that three minutes later, but Pedro de la Vega’s shot found the crossbar instead of the back of the net. That allowed Ebobisse to double the lead on a counter five minutes into the second half.
The sequence started with Seattle losing possession at the top of the LAFC penalty area, with the loose ball falling to Under. He pushed it onto the right foot of Igor Jesus, whose long, low through ball found Ebobisse sprinting up the center of the field, splitting two defenders as he entered the Seattle end.
After running onto the ball, Ebobisse turned Sounders defender Jon Bell around at the top of the box to create space, then beat Thomas cleanly with a right-footed shot inside the left post for his third goal of the season.
David Martínez appeared to add to the lead in the 78th minute, scoring on a brilliant individual effort. But the goal was erased by an offside call on Nathan Ordaz.
That mattered little since Bouanga’s goal two minutes later did count. Martínez got the assist on the score, Bouanga’s sixth in as many games during LAFC’s unbeaten streak.
Brian White scored on a header in the 70th minute as the Vancouver Whitecaps rallied to tie LAFC.
Yeboah then closed out the scoring with his first LAFC goal in the 86th minute.
LAFC (6-4-3) has never lost a regular-season game at home to the Sounders (5-4-4), with Wednesday’s win running their record to 8-0-1. The victory also avenged a 5-2 loss, the most one-sided of the season, two months ago in Seattle.
