LAFC”s attack continued to remain on fire against Minnesota United on Wednesday night.
By Ivan Yeo
The machine keeps chugging along for LAFC.
If there was any worry about how LAFC’s attack would fare without Marco Urena, LAFC has put those fears aside. Eduard Atuesta was the latest player from LAFC to step up when called upon, as he scored LAFC’s first goal on Wednesday night and Mark Anthony Kaye’s strike propelled LAFC to a 2-0 win over Minnesota United at Banc of California Stadium.
“Tonight we saw some really great moments of football,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said.
The win keeps LAFC in second place in the Western Conference. LAFC is four points back of Sporting Kansas City, who went into Mercedes Benz Stadium and defeated the East’ best team, Atlanta United, by the same scoreline. LAFC, playing its third match at home, has yet to lose at Banc of California Stadium.
Atuesta got LAFC on the board in the 31st minute. Carlos Vela played a ball to Diego Rossi, who dribbled into the penalty area, played a ball to Atuesta, who then took two touches to evade his marker, Francisco Calvo, and Atuesta shot a ball that beat keeper Bobby Shuttleworth near post.
LAFC then got the two-goal cushion six minutes later. Vela dribbled into the penalty area from the right, sent a cross in, but it was cut off by Jerome Thiesson. The ball however stayed in the box, Latif Blessing out-leaped Calvo and headed a ball left and the ball fell perfectly to Mark Anthony Kaye, leaving with the ideal scenario; a point-blank look with only the keeper to beat and sure enough, Kaye one-touched a short volley just outside the six-yard box that beat Shuttleworth into the back net.
“Latif, he did well …….. that guy can jump man,” Kaye said of Blessing’s effort on the goal. “I think the Center Back underestimated him, I know he (Blessing) was capable of flicking it on and sometimes you just have to be in the right spot and thank god I was.”
Just like last Saturday against FC Dallas, LAFC came out swinging on offense. LAFC for sure thought they had struck in the sixth minute, as Atuesta split the Minnesota defense with a through ball to Diego Rossi in the penalty area, Rossi fired a shot off his left foot that beat Shuttleworth, but did not beat the far post, instead, it bounced off the post and back into play.
Ironically, the framework turned out to be LAFC’s best friend a minute later, as Darwin Quintero dribbled past the LAFC defense into the penalty area, and like Rossi, aimed for the far post. But like Rossi, heartbreak ensued for the visitors, as the shot beat keeper Tyler Miller, but hit off the post.
LAFC concludes the homestand on Sunday with its third game of the week, and it will be a doozy, as they face New York City FC in its third game in a week.
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