LOS ANGELES — After losing to Austin FC twice in the regular season via headed corner kicks, the final moment of Wednesday night’s first-round MLS playoff opener came down to defending one for LAFC to secure a hard-fought win.
Following 95 minutes of rough-and-tumble soccer at BMO Stadium, Austin’s last ditch effort to draw level and send the game to a penalty kick shootout was denied, and LAFC prevailed, 2-1, claimed the first of two wins it needs to advance to the next round.
The game-winner by Nathan Ordaz in the 79th minute let Coach Steve Cherundolo’s group jump ahead in the best-of-three series that heads to Austin for Game 2 on Sunday.
Ordaz’s goal, off the slightest touch from his right foot, was set up with a quality through ball by Mark Delgado deep in LAFC’s end. Making his first appearance against Austin, South Korean star Son Heugn-min turned and sprinted down the field before delivering it to Bouanga in the box.
The Frenchman’s shot looked like it beat Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver, but Ordaz was unsure at the moment and decided to tap it in himself.
Immediately after scoring, Ordaz put his hands on his head: He wasn’t sure if he was onside.
Referee Rosendo Mendoza, however, did not need a video review to call the goal good. When Mendoza placed the ball at midfield to resume the game, a huge sense of relief overcame the 21-year-old homegrown player from Van Nuys.
“Some of my teammates were a little angry at the situation because they didn’t know and my reaction kind of made me look guilty because I just had no idea,” Ordaz said. “Thank God it wasn’t offsides. A huge relief.
“I think it’s the most important [goal] I’ve had. Helping in playoffs means a lot.”
A key member of the team until the latter stage of the season due to an injury and Son’s arrival, Ordaz’s game-winning goal punctuated a big two weeks for a player who recently re-signed with LAFC through 2029 and got engaged to be married.
LAFC’s late-game push, in front of an announced crowd of 22,142, was boosted by the addition of Ordaz, who replaced midfielder Mathieu Choinière and, as a third forward, immediately brought movement and space to the Black & Gold attack, which put five of its 18 shots on frame.
Held scoreless during a pair of regular-season meetings against Austin, LAFC opened the scoring by catching a much-needed break to end a 200-minute drought against its defensive-minded foes.
Driving to the goal line, 34-year-old wingback Ryan Hollingshead – one of the league’s top-scoring defenders who signed a two-year contract extension through 2027 last week – delivered a low cross into the 6-yard box.
Austin defender Brendan Hines-Ike mishit his clearance and the ball snuck past Stuver for an own-goal at the 20-minute mark.
Based on the tone and tenor of the opening half, that kind of breakthrough made sense.
LAFC managed two shots on target to Austin’s zero, and the sides combined for 17 fouls in the first 45 minutes.
That hard-nosed mentality was on display when Austin midfielder Ilie Sanchez, who played three seasons with LAFC before departing as a free agent this year, shoulder checked Son to the ground the moment the game kicked off.
“Against this team, you have to impose your physicality and personality and show your character,” Austin FC head coach Nico Estévez said. “Just show them it’s not going to be easy. We’re not going to let them play comfortable.”
Regarding the start of the match, “That’s ridiculous if you ask me,” Cherundolo said. “There’s no need for that. But our response was excellent. We won’t back down, for sure. That’s not in the DNA of this group. So as long as it’s fair I’m totally fine with it. It’s playoffs. Why not?”
The tug-of-war continued until the final play.
LAFC attempted to kill off the game, but Austin patiently waited to make the most of the few chances it had.
With most of Austin’s focus on Bouanga and Son, who combined for 19 of LAFC’s past 22 goals, neither attacker made a goal contribution for the first time since joining forces in early August.
“I think they didn’t seem comfortable the whole game,” Estevez said. “They weren’t happy with how the game was going.”
By the final whistle the visitors had two shots on target. Despite that, in the 63rd minute the lowest-scoring team to clinch an MLS playoff berth found the lightning strike it had to have.
From the midfield, Dani Pereira sliced through a trio of LAFC players to begin a chaotic sequence in the box that LAFC failed to clear. The action concluded with Austin defender Jon Gallagher tucking away a simple finish off his left foot.
“I was not happy with a little bit of too-deep defending at times,” Cherundolo said. “It looks a little dangerous from them applying pressure, dumping balls in the box. It could be balls you don’t clear. Second balls. Hand balls. All of those things happen. That’s a little unnecessary to me. That comes when you don’t get enough pressure on the ball and you’re just dropping and dropping and dropping. And that’s what Sunday will look like, so that’s an area we need to improve on.”
