In a battle of MLS Western Conference heavyweights, Los Angeles FC outlasted Seattle Sounders, 1-0, on Wednesday night at Starfire Sports Stadium in the Semifinals of the 2024 Lamar Hunt US Open Cup. The match hinged on a controversial handball called on Seattle in the 80th minute of an otherwise even affair.
As a result of Wednesday night’s triumph, LAFC will advance to the Open Cup Final for the first time in club history. The club previously reached the Semifinals in the 2018 edition of the Cup in their debut season. Seattle will have to wait another year in their attempt to become just the fourth team to win five Open Cup titles – the first among MLS clubs.
Denis Bouanga converted from the spot for the match’s lone goal in the 83rd minute. The tally stands as Bouanga’s first career goal in Open Cup action.
For LAFC forward Kei Kamara, he was proud of the way his team responded after losing to the Columbus Crew in the Leagues Cup Final just a few days before.
“This was really a tough game,” said Kamara, who won the 2012 US Open Cup with Sporting Kansas City, the team LAFC will face in next month’s Final. “It’s a tough game for everybody that has been in the final before and … lose a final, you know, to go back to the next game and see what you can do, how the locker room is gonna pick themselves up.”
Neither team was able to break through in the first half, but not for a lack of trying by Los Angeles. Bouanga whipped in a free kick that led to a Kei Kamara effort that was saved brilliantly by Andrew Thomas. The save rebounded to Lewis O’Brein who then saw his volleyed effort blocked by the Seattle defense to preserve parity.
After the interval, both teams had chances to score a decisive opener. However, Thomas and Hugo Lloris proved equal to every effort through the first 38 minutes of the second half.
Unfortunately for Thomas, Pedro de la Vega was called for a handball in the box that set up a penalty attempt for Bouanga. The Gabonese striker stepped up to the spot and snuck it past Thomas, just inside the netminder’s right post.
In the second minute of stoppage time, Seattle thought they’d fought back to find an equalizer. Unfortunately, Jordan Morris was judged to be a step offside prior to his headed effort. With the Sounders throwing numbers forward in the dying moments of the match, LAFC’s defense stood strong and denied the hosts a clean look at goal.
Dating back to Seattle’s first Open Cup appearance in 1995, it was just the sixth time in 39 all-time home games that the Sounders were eliminated. It was also the first time that the four-time champions have ever lost a Semifinal match (5-1-0).
It was just the Wednesday night was the fourth win for LAFC against Seattle in 2024. Los Angeles will play host to Sporting Kansas City on Wednesday, Sept. 25 in the US Open Cup Final at BMO Stadium. Sporting defeated Indy Eleven 2-0 in the other Semifinal on Tuesday night. It will be the first time that the tournament’s championship game will be hosted in Southern California since 2005 (LA Galaxy). LAFC are the 26th Southern California club in tournament history to reach the championship game.