Lloris and LAFC off to winning start to new MLS season
MIAMI: Former France captain Hugo Lloris enjoyed victory on his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut as Los Angeles FC (LAFC) defeated the Seatle Sounders 2-1 in their opening game of the season on Saturday.
France’s 2018 World Cup winner Lloris made a key early save as the 2022 MLS Cup winners triumphed in a rematch of last year’s Western Conference semi-finals.
Lloris, who moved to Los Angeles from Tottenham in December, was brought into action in just the third minute, producing a fine reflex save to deny Jordan Morris.
French-born Gabon international Denis Bouanga, the league’s top scorer last season, was a constant threat to Seatle defenders, seeing a shot cleared off the line and then hiting the bar with a deflected effort.
But Los Angeles got in front on the stroke of half-time when Mexican Omar Campos got to the byline and whipped in a cross that was expertly volleyed home by Timothy Tillman.
Polish midfielder Mateusz Bogusz doubled the lead with a super strike into the top corner from the edge of the box on 55 minutes.
The Sounders gave themselves a lifeline when Morris was ruled, ater a VAR review, to have been brought down by Aaron Long. Argentine Pedro de la Vega, who had made his debut as a substitute just five minutes earlier, confidently sloted home the spot kick.
LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said Lloris had clearly added his qualities and experience to the team, which lost Italian defender Giorgio Chiellini to retirement in the off-season.
STEADY ROCK: “He’s just kind of a steady rock for us, a sense of security. All the players feel it when he’s there, which is very important. His decision-making is going to make us a lot beter and then he’s also somebody who can come up with a big save,” said the former US international.
Lloris, who rarely featured in his last year at Totenham, said he was still finding his feet.
“We are still in the process of geting to know each other. But I feel good,” he said.
“I know that physically I am not 100% yet and I need to get the rhythm of competition because it has been 10 months now.
Elsewhere on Saturday, reigning MLS champions Columbus Crew made a positive start to their title defence with a 1-0 win over Atlanta United.