Los Angeles Football Club Win First MLS Cup in Club History, Defeating the Philadelphia Union in a Penalty-Kick Shootout
November 5, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles Football Club won the first MLS Cup in club history, defeating the Philadelphia Union 3-0 in a penalty-kick shootout after the game was tied at 3-3 after extra time. LAFC goalkeeper John McCarthy was named the 2022 MLS Cup MVP presented by Audi after substituting on in the 117th minute and saving two penalties in the shootout. Capping off a terrific season, LAFC became the second team since 2012 to win MLS Cup and the Supporters’ Shield in the same season.
The club is the 15th different team to win MLS Cup and the ninth different winner in the past decade. With the victory, Steve Cherundolo became the only first-year head coach to win MLS Cup since Piotr Nowak for D.C. United in 2004. LAFC is the fourth team in MLS history to win MLS Cup after producing 67-or-more points in the regular season.
GAME RECAP
1 2 ET FT (PK)
LAFC 1 1 1 3 (3)
PHI 0 2 1 3 (0)
Scoring Summary:
LAFC – Acosta, 28′
PHI – Gazdag (Martínez), 59′
LAFC – Murillo (Vela), 83′
PHI – Elliott (Wagner), 85′
PHI – Elliott, 120+4′
LAFC – Bale (Palacios), 120+8′
Penalty-Kick Shootout:
LAFC – Tello, Saved
PHI – Gazdag, Missed
LAFC – Bouanga, Scored
PHI – Martínez, Saved
LAFC – Hollingshead, Scored
PHI – Wagner, Saved
LAFC – Sánchez, Scored
Attendance: 22,384 (sellout)
LAFC emerged victorious after a sensational back-and-forth 3-3 game that saw five different goal scorers and three different lead changes priorto the penalty-kick shootout. Kellyn Acosta opened the scoring in the 28th minute from a direct free kick to send Banc of California Stadium into a frenzy. The Union equalized after halftime when Dániel Gazdag controlled a shot from José Martínez and placed it into the roof of the net in the 59th minute. Jesús Murillo looked to have the winner in the 83rd minute, only for Union defender Jack Elliott to equalize with a header off a free kick two minutes later.
In the 117th minute, LAFC goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau was issued a red card for denial of an obvious goal-scoring opportunity and was also injured during the play, resulting in LAFC substituting in John McCarthy at goalkeeper. Elliott scored his second goal of the match in the 124′ that appeared to give the Union their first MLS Cup. However, extra-time substitute Gareth Bale rose above the defense in the 128′ minute and headed home the game-tying goal, which was the latest in MLS history (including regular season and postseason), sending the game to a penalty-kick shootout.
Andre Blake saved the first shot in the shootout from Cristian Tello; however, Gazdag shot his over the crossbar for the Union. Dénis Bouanga was the first to convert in the shootout, and McCarthy saved the Union’s next two penalty-kick attempts, denying Martínez and Kai Wagner from 12 yards out. With the opportunity to seal a championship for LAFC, Ilie Sánchez snuck his penalty kick under a diving Blake to earn the club’s first-ever MLS Cup trophy.
Game Notes
LAFC’s Kellyn Acosta opened the scoring in the 28th minute when his free kick deflected off a Union player and into the back of the net.. Acosta became the second player to score a direct free kick in an MLS Cup, joining Ronnie Ekelund for San Jose in the most recent matchup between the two top seeds in each conference in 2003. Acosta was the first American player to score in an MLS Cup since Jozy Altidore for Toronto FC in 2019.
Philadelphia Union’s Dániel Gazdag is the first European to score in an MLS Cup since 2019 and the first-ever Hungarian to score in the championship match. After MLS Cup, Gazdag finished the season with 35 combined goals and assists, including Audi 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs and MLS Cup.
This was the first-ever MLS Cup where a defender from both teams scored in regulation time and was just the second time in league history that two defenders scored in the same MLS Cup match. With both goals coming in the 80th minute, this is the first time both teams scored after that mark in an MLS Cup since 2019.
Philadelphia Union defender Jack Elliott is the first-ever defender to score two goals in MLS Cup. Elliott’s goal in the 124th minute was the latest in MLS history until LAFC’s Gareth Bale scored in the 128th minute of the match.
LAFC forward Gareth Bale’s goal in the 128th minute was the latest goal scored in MLS history, surpassing Jack Elliott who held the record for four minutes with his goal in the 124th minute of 2022 MLS Cup. The record had been previously held by Brian Ching heading into today with his 114′ minutes goal in 2006 MLS Cup.
This was the second time in league history that six goals were scored in MLS Cup and the first time both teams scored three goals across regulation and extra time.
LAFC’s John McCarthy is the fifth goalkeeper in MLS Cup history to save two penalty kicks in a penalty-kick shutout.
LAFC’s 2022 MLS Cup victory is the first won by a Western Conference team other than Seattle Sounders FC or the Portland Timbers since 2014. LAFC are the ninth different team in the past decade to win MLS Cup and the fourth different team from the Western Conference to lift the trophy.
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