Club suffers first home loss of MLS season
If the match had been decided in the first 45 minutes, the Dynamo would have scored their biggest upset of the 2019 Major League Soccer season.
Instead, Los Angeles FC struck moments before halftime, then again three minutes into the second half to defeat the Dynamo 3-1 at BBVA Stadium on Friday night.
The Dynamo (8-8-3, 27 points) charged out of the gate early, nearly scoring in the first minute of the game. Then in the third minute, midfielder Tomas Martinez helped put the Dynamo ahead when, from the top of the penalty area, he passed the ball left to Romell Quioto.
The forward patiently advanced through the left side of the box and attracted a trio of defenders before lifting a shot that went over goalkeeper Tyler Miller’s right shoulder for the early goal.
The Dynamo missed several chances to extend their lead after that. A 22nd-minute attack from the flank by Alberth Elis drew Miller out before he saved the shot, but he surrendered a corner kick.
Three minutes later, Elis received the ball with Miller caught far from his post. Elis attacked, then chipped the ball over Miller’s head, taking the keeper out of the play before pursuing the ball to try for the score.
But LAFC defender Mohamed El-Munir chased him down from behind and imposed himself at the last moment to clear the ball just before Elis could poke it into the net.
Elis tried to chip the keeper again minutes later, but Miller extended his hand high enough to deflect the ball.
The Dynamo outshot LAFC (142-4, 46 points) in the first half, held the advantage in possession and nearly took a lead into the locker room.
But late in first-half stoppage time, LAFC’s Lee Nguyen popped a high pass up to Adama Diomande near the far post. Diomande elevated high over defender A.J. DeLaGarza and hit an arching header that floated over defender Aljaz Struna into the back of the net for a demoralizing score moments before halftime.
Minutes into the second half, Nguyen linked up with Diomande again. That connection put LAFC up for good in the 49th minute when Nguyen knocked a short pass ahead to Diomande within the box and a few feet from the post. Diomande slipped the ball past goalkeeper Joe Willis before a defender could close in on him.
LAFC iced the game in the 88th minute when the team worked the ball to the left side of the area. It found its way to Diego Rossi, who popped a shot that wenrt too high for Willis to do anything but turn his head to watch it sail into the net.
Against a depleted LAFC team that played without leading scorer Carlos Vela — Rossi, their second-leading scorer came off the bench — the Dynamo suffered their first home loss of the MLS season.