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    LAFC steamrolls Vancouver to advance in CONCACAF Champions League
    • April 12, 2023

    LAFC defender Aaron Long, right, beats Vancouver Whitecaps forward Brian White to a header during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC defender Jesús Murillo moves the ball up the field against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy makes a save against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Carlos Vela takes a penalty shot for a goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Carlos Vela celebrates after scoring a goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Denis Bouanga, front, moves the ball past Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Raposo during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC defender Aaron Long looks for an open teammate against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Kwadwo Opoku, right, vies for the ball against Vancouver Whitecaps forward Déiber Caicedo during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy catches the ball against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Kwadwo Opoku, left, has his jersey pulled by Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC midfielder Ilie Sánchez, right, vies for the ball against Vancouver Whitecaps forward Déiber Caicedo during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC midfielder Kellyn Acosta moves the ball up the field against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Carlos Vela, left, is tackled by Vancouver Whitecaps forward Ali Ahmed during the first half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC midfielder Daniel Crisostomo kicks the ball against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC defender Erik Dueñas, left, beats Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, right, to a header during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman deflects the ball off his chest against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC defender Sergi Palencia, left, chases the ball while defended by Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Pedro Vite during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Denis Bouanga moves the ball up the field against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC defender Erik Dueñas, left, vies for the ball against Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Pedro Vite during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Denis Bouanga kicks the ball against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    An LAFC fan celebrates during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Carlos Vela, left, heads the ball as Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Raposo defends during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC midfielder José Cifuentes, left, kicks the ball past Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Sebastian Berhalter, right, during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    LAFC forward Carlos Vela, right, vies for the ball against Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Ryan Raposo, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps midfielder Pedro Vite, center, during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

    An LAFC fan celebrates during the second half of their CONCACAF Champions League second-leg quarterfinal match against the Vancouver Whitecaps on Tuesday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

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    LOS ANGELES — Picking up where it left off in Vancouver, the Los Angeles Football Club completed a lopsided victory on Tuesday night and advanced to the semifinal round of the CONCACAF Champions League.

    Going with the same starting 11 that produced a 3-0 victory last week at BC Place, the second leg of the series at BMO Stadium was essentially over before it began.

    LAFC captain Carlos Vela converted a penalty in the eighth minute.

    The 34-year-old forward added another goal at the half-hour mark by chesting down a long pass over the top of the Whitecaps defense from midfielder Ilie Sanchez and calmly finishing with his left foot.

    Vela’s brace gave the Mexican forward eight goals in CONCACAF Champions League play dating to 2020, when he scored five times in five games en route to an eventual final defeat against Tigres UANL.

    Midfielder Jose Cifuentes, assisted by Denis Bouanga, hammered LAFC’s third goal of the night to seal the emphatic win, 6-0 on aggregate.

    Bouanga entered the match with five goals after three games in the competition. The Frenchman set up Vela’s penalty by storming into the box with the ball at his feet and taking a clear foul.

    Unlike last month’s second leg against Costa Rican club Alajeulense, when LAFC saw a similar three-goal lead drop to one before holding on for a 4-2 win on aggregate, any chance of a Whitecaps comeback was summarily dismissed by Steve Cherundolo’s hungry group.

    “We feel very good but it’s also a time to try to improve,” the LAFC head coach said. “It’s an easy moment to teach and to learn and to accept criticism and that’s what we’re trying to do. I thought our defensive performance in the first 25 minutes was not very good. We just kept backing up and dropping and trying to find safety in numbers, which is not the way we want to play and actually got pretty lucky in the fifth minute to not go down a goal. We talked about it half and the improvements were there right away. We were back to our way of defending and football.”

    Four saves by LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy in the opening half included a pair of stellar stops in the first 20 minutes that stymied hopes of a Whitecaps rally.

    Last year’s MLS Cup MVP finished with six saves as he protected LAFC’s third straight 3-0 win and fourth consecutive clean sheet.

    During the first leg in British Columbia, McCarthy had to make one save, a consequential deflection that denied former LAFC defender Tristan Blackmon and kept the match scoreless.

    “I’m impressed by the way they’re humble and they are disciplined when they defend because sometimes they have to defend,” said Vancouver head coach Vanni Sartini, who called LAFC the best team in North America prior to the first-leg match and reiterated his praise on Tuesday night.

    Said Cherundolo, the former U.S. men’s national team defender: “As far as I know in this game the recipe to success is to defend well and at moments be effective in front of goal. … For the most part, we’ve had a lot of answers this season defensively and it will be something we continue to work on.”

    The Black & Gold have opened their 2023 campaign with seven shutouts in 10 games. Despite LAFC’s strong start as it seeks to repeat as MLS champions and make another deep Champions League run, Vela expressed frustration over his lack of contributions on the scoresheet leading up to the first leg against the Whitecaps.

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    “I am working hard. I am trying,” Vela said last week. “Sometimes it doesn’t matter if you are making mistakes or play not a good game, but in the end, the important thing is to come the next day because it’s another chance to get better and get in the position I want. In my head, there are only positive things to get my rhythm and be at my level. After that, for sure a lot of good things are coming.”

    Vela and his teammates have plenty to look forward to.

    On April 25, LAFC will resume CONCACAF Champions League play against either the Philadelphia Union or Atlas FC. The Union, which LAFC defeated to capture the MLS Cup last November, leads the series 1-0 ahead of the second leg in Mexico on Wednesday night.

    In the meantime, still unbeaten in league play, LAFC turns its attention to the rival L.A. Galaxy for their first MLS showdown of the year on Sunday in Carson.

    ​ Orange County Register 

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