Led by Mexican Carlos Vela, Los Angeles FC are knocking down Mexican rivals one after another in the CONCACAF Champions League and now hope to become the first Major League Soccer (MLS) club to be crowned champions of the competition. .
Vela hit the target twice in less than two minutes to clear a delay and put his team ahead against Club America on Saturday in Orlando in a 3-1 semi-final victory.
Now, it will be the fourth appearance of an MLS club in the final, after those of Real Salt Lake (2011), the Montreal Impact (2015) and Toronto FC (2018). Each time, a La Liga MX club has had the ascendancy.
The Californian club, however, defeated three Mexican teams to get this ticket to the final, namely Club Leon and Cruz Azul, before facing Club America. He has an appointment with the UANL Tigers on Tuesday.
“I’ve said it many times,” said head coach Bob Bradley, according to the official MLS website. For Carlos, it’s special to play against these teams. This also happens in a year in which he missed a lot due to family responsibilities and a tibial collateral ligament injury. ”
“So you can tell how much that means to him. Since it affects other players, it’s a special kind of leadership and it shows it on the pitch. Not only with the two goals, but also at the end of the game, with his ability to run with the ball forward, to go into the corner and cause a foul. He does all the little things that help us manage a tough game. ”
The experience
LAFC is making its debut in the Champions League and is about to complete its third year of competition after entering MLS in 2018. Inexperience is not a factor in Bradley’s eyes, however.
According to the driver, a few bitter defeats in the semi-finals over the past two years have left the players better equipped on Saturday.
“In 2018, we lost in the United States Cup semifinals,” he said. Last year we lost in the semifinals [des éliminatoires de la MLS] against Seattle. So we know what it feels like. And the semi-finals are games where everyone feels the pressure, and since you can advance to the final, they’re so special. “
“And you could feel that our group, before the game and during half-time, weren’t going to stop and that we were going to find a way to get to the final. It was so clear and that’s the reason why I’m so proud of these guys. This is how you evolve as a team. ”
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