LAFC Debut With a Victory
Week 1 for LAFC has gone into the books and make it 6 of 6 when it comes to season debuts! The reigning champions took care of business as they defeated the Portland Timbers 3-2! While the final scoreline looked to be a close one LAFC ran through their opposition with ease. The club looked like they were already in midseason form. Which is remarkable as they will have a daunting 2023 season, dealing with Concacaf, Leagues Cup, U.S Open Cup, and MLS. With the whole team clicking now they can hopefully find a balance of squads to tackle these tournaments. However, there are a few things that need some fine tuning but with the season underway this win was a crucial one.
Scoring Opportunities
The versatility that this club has is unfathomable, for instance the first goal scorer this season was by Giorgio Chiellini! The veteran defender with his prowess inside the box quickly capitalized on a rebound and opened up his scoring tally with LAFC. Yes, he scored his first goal as a LAFC defender and the clubs first goal of the season! Quickly LAFC doubled their lead as the only LAFC original left; Carlos Vela made his presence felt. Scoring a penalty kick and giving the Black and Gold a 2-0 lead just before the 35th minute. Then in the second half LAFC added a third to help seal the deal. As Mahala Opoku picked up right where he left off. With three different goal scorers there is a sense of relief as LAFC had relied heavily on Chicho last season. So new faces will have to rise and take on the responsibility of scoring goals for the team.
Overall Thoughts
While it was great to start the season with a win. LAFC almost let the game slip in the second half. If the defense wasn’t on their toes this game easily would’ve been tied. John McCarthy had a solid game for LAFC. While he did concede two goals, they weren’t errors from him. Crepeau seems to still be a long way in his recovery. As he was seen limping still when he presented the MLS Cup to the fans. Stipe Biuk saw a few minutes and looked really good. Along with his counterpart Timothy Tillman who also had an exceptional debut. The team is built really well and while there are a few holes to fill. The product that was shown on the pitch is more than capable of competing for all major titles this season.
