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Kwadwo Opoku #22 of Los Angeles FC reacts with teammate Cristian Arango #9 of Los Angeles FC after scoring against the Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Carlos Vela #10 of Los Angeles FC against the Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Mamadou Fall #5 of Los Angeles FC with the scissor kick against the Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Goal keeper Andre Blake #18 of Philadelphia Union blocks a shot against the Los Angeles FC in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Carlos Vela #10 of Los Angeles FC goes yup for the header against Nathan Harriel #26 of Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Carlos Vela #10 of Los Angeles FC goes yup for the header against Nathan Harriel #26 of Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Latif Blessing #7 of Los Angeles FC eyes the ball against the Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Carlos Vela #10 of Los Angeles FC goes yup for the header against Nathan Harriel #26 of Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Franco Escobar #2 of Los Angeles FC reacts after scoring the tying goal against the Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Alejandro Bedoya #11 of Philadelphia Union pulls the jersey of Latif Blessing #7 of Los Angeles FC in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Latif Blessing #7 of Los Angeles FC fights for the ball against Alejandro Bedoya #11 of Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Cristian Arango #9 of Los Angeles FC fights for the ball against Julián Carranza #9 of Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Déniel Gazdag #6 of Philadelphia Union reacts after teammate Julián Carranza (not pictured) of Philadelphia Union scores against the Los Angeles FC to take the lead 2-1 in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Cristian Arango #9 of Los Angeles FC lays on the field after a injury against the Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Julián Carranza #9 of Philadelphia Union reacts with teammates after scoring against the Los Angeles FC to take the lead 2-1 in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Los Angeles FC fans celebrate after Kwadwo Opoku (not pictured) of Los Angeles FC scores against the Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Los Angeles FC chant after a goal against Philadelphia Union in the Second half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Ilie Sánchez #6 of Los Angeles FC looks on against the Philadelphia Union in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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A official reacts toward Julián Carranza #9 of Philadelphia Union as Sebastien Ibeagha #25 of Los Angeles FC looks on in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Sebastien Ibeagha #25 of Los Angeles FC fights for the ball against Julián Carranza #9 of Philadelphia Union in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Kellyn Acosta #23 of Los Angeles FC with a kick against the Philadelphia Union in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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The Los Angeles FC bird prior to a Major League Soccer match between the Los Angeles FC and the Philadelphia Union at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Sebastien Ibeagha #25 of Los Angeles FC fights for the ball against Julián Carranza #9 of Philadelphia Union in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Los Angeles FC fans hold up their scarfs in the first half of a Major League Soccer match between the Los Angeles FC and the Philadelphia Union at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Los Angeles FC fans hold up their scarfs in the first half of a Major League Soccer match between the Los Angeles FC and the Philadelphia Union at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Nathan Harriel #26 of Philadelphia Union goes up for the header against the Los Angeles FC in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Ilie Sánchez #6, left, of Los Angeles FC goes up for the header against Julián Carranza #9 of Philadelphia Union in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Los Angeles FC fans chant in the first half of a Major League Soccer match between the Los Angeles FC and the Philadelphia Union at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Goal keeper Andre Blake #18 of Philadelphia Union blocks a shot against Carlos Vela #10 of Los Angeles FC in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Déniel Gazdag #6 of Philadelphia Union reacts with teammates after scoring against the Los Angeles FC in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Ilie Sánchez #6, left, of Los Angeles FC goes up for the header against Julián Carranza #9 of Philadelphia Union in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
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Déniel Gazdag #6 of Philadelphia Union reacts with teammates after scoring against the Los Angeles FC in the first half of a Major League Soccer match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 7, 2022. (Photo by Keith Birmingham, Pasadena Star-News/SCNG)
LOS ANGELES — A high-paced clash of Major League Soccer conference leaders finished all square Saturday at Banc of California Stadium.
Coming from behind twice, the Los Angeles Football Club needed goals from “Mahala” Opoku and Franco Escobar to preserve a point and stay unbeaten through six games on its pitch.
The 2-2 draw with the East-leading Philadelphia Union reaffirmed LAFC’s undefeated record in four league matches against the visitors since joining Major League Soccer in 2018, maintaining the Black & Gold’s status as the only team the Union faced in league play that it hasn’t earned three points against.
Despite a loss and three draws for Philadelphia in head-to-head competition with LAFC, the clubs’ records against the rest of the league placed them at or near the top of several key MLS statistical categories over the past four-plus seasons.
Ahead of their only regular season contest of the year, that level of success put both clubs atop their respective conferences nine weeks into the season.
LAFC (7-0-2, 23 points) charged out of the gate and attempted to take a quick lead on the Union (5-1-4, 19 points).
Several opportunities for the Black & Gold went astray, giving Philadelphia a moment to make them pay after a throw-in near midfield during the ninth minute.
Julian Carranza opened Philadelphia’s account when he received the ball and sidestepped both Ilie Sanchez and Kellyn Acosta to make a free run toward the LAFC box.
Streaking up the left side of the field defender Kai Wagner took Carranza’s pass and hit it first time across the face of goal, where midfielder Daniel Gazdag, waiting at the far post, punched in his team-leading fifth goal.
The early shock is the quickest LAFC has conceded this season, and it took steam out of their intense push from the opening whistle, which has been a point of emphasis for Cherundolo in training the past few weeks.
Five times this year LAFC was scored against first. Save their only loss to the Galaxy, the Black & Gold had recovered with resounding performances by outscoring opponents 13 to nothing in the second half. That trend appeared to continue in the 56th minute.
LAFC’s Colombian forward Cristian Arango drove into the Philadelphia zone and picked out Jose Cifuentes standing near the top of the box. The Ecuadorian midfielder’s deft first touch placed the ball in Mahala’s path and the 21-year-old Ghanian evened the match with a left-footed laser that buzzed by Blake inside the near post.
A trio of shots by LAFC over the next few minutes made the anxious crowd pine for a go-ahead goal. It would come but not for them. For the first time in 472 second half minutes, LAFC conceded when the Union stunned Banc of California Stadium’s barnstorming fans with a floating shot by Carranza in the 67th minute that curled beyond an outstretched Maxime Crepeau.
The MLS points leaders pressed to tie the score and came through in the 82nd minute on LAFC’s 11th corner kick of the contest.
Cifuentes headed down the Carlos Vela corner, forcing a sprawling save by Blake that pushed the ball in front of defender Franco Escobar. The Argentine buried the rebound for his first goal with LAFC — making him the fourth Los Angeles defender to score this season.
“Tonight it was me,” Escobar said. “But it is important to find a solution. It can’t always fall on the forwards.”
“I was very excited but at the same time I was ready to start the next play,” he continued. “I wanted to see if we could turn the score around. On the play before I thought I lost the ball and it cost the second goal against them. I wanted to turn the page on that.”
Vela played the full 90 minutes, however for the third consecutive match he failed to find an assist or goal that would have produced his 100th combined finish in league competition.
This was the 33-year-old LAFC captain’s seventh consecutive match without a goal dating back to March 20.
“I wasn’t counting,” Cherundolo said regarding Vela. “I’m more concerned with performances and where he is physically and what he’s doing to help the team win, and he’s doing that. And we are scoring goals as a team. I’m not too concerned with who’s scoring.”
The Mexican forward managed one off-target shot, joining the 22 attempts taken by his team.
Only six were put on frame, prompting four saves by Blake.
Clogging up the center of the field, Philadelphia prevented LAFC from building out of its midfield and used anything it could — the coach mentioned fouls and time wasting — to keep the contest close.
Of the Union’s nine shots, their two on-target attempts found the back of the net.
“It’s a clash of styles,” Cherundolo noted. “It’s always going to be difficult. I think we dealt with it fairly well. I believe if you look at the statistics it’s very clear.”
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