LAFC’s pair of screamers scored by its midfielders secured a 2-0 win over a nine-man Houston Dynamo on Feb. 28 at Shell Energy Stadium.
Two minutes into the first half stoppage time, Dynamo defender Antônio Carlos was ejected from the match after fouling LAFC star player Son Heung-min from behind.
“My assessment was that it was a dangerous play and a little bit reckless,” LAFC Head Coach Marc Dos Santos said. “I know [Carlos] is a great guy, and maybe he didn’t want to [foul]. “It’s the type of step on the foot that if it was a little more aggressive, it could've been more dangerous.”
The ejection led to the Dynamo having a significant disadvantage for the entirety of the second half.
“[Carlos] endangered the safety of an opponent, using his studs with excessive force to make contact to the Achilles and calf of an opponent,” Referee Jon Freemon said.
To open up the second half, Houston’s Agustín Bouzat nearly caught LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris off guard, attempting a chip shot near midfield that hit the top of the crossbar.
LAFC midfielder Mark Delgado put LAFC up 1-0 after scoring a long-distance shot in the 55th minute.
In the 76th minute, Bouzat received a straight red card after fouling Son during a transitional play as the last defender.
The two ejections allowed LAFC to maintain control of the ball for 70 percent of the match, with Houston rarely having possession or posing a threat.
The Black and Gold’s constant pressure led to the team finishing with a total of six shots on goal and eight corner kick opportunities.
LA has started the season as one of the most consistent defensive squads in MLS, having finished three straight matches with a clean sheet.
“We’re defending collectively, and this is a team effort,” Dos Santos said. “It’s not just a few players [contributing], and we have to keep growing and stay as a team.”
LAFC defender Ryan Porteous played a crucial role in maintaining the strong backline, making a series of key defensive stops and sound game management decisions.
LAFC has played four games in the span of twelve days.
“Regardless of the red cards, we knew we were in control of the game but knew it would be a tough game for us,” Porteous said. “For a defender, a clean sheet and a win is really important for us, and that’s what we want to try and base ourselves off. There’s a
lot of games, but as a football player, that’s what you want and [we] wanted to play as many as possible.”
With the two-man advantage, LAFC’s second goal came from a 20-yard shot from LA’s Stephen Eustáquio in the 82nd minute to secure the 2-0 victory over Houston.
“Houston started the game very well and gave us a couple of problems, but I felt that we were in a controlled situation," Eustáquio said. “Our offensive players win us games, but it’s our defense that wins us championships. We are a team that defends well and have been outstanding in our [offensive] process.”
LA will play FC Dallas at the BMO Stadium on March 7 at 9:30 pm CST.
Two minutes into the first half stoppage time, Dynamo defender Antônio Carlos was ejected from the match after fouling LAFC star player Son Heung-min from behind.
“My assessment was that it was a dangerous play and a little bit reckless,” LAFC Head Coach Marc Dos Santos said. “I know [Carlos] is a great guy, and maybe he didn’t want to [foul]. “It’s the type of step on the foot that if it was a little more aggressive, it could've been more dangerous.”
The ejection led to the Dynamo having a significant disadvantage for the entirety of the second half.
“[Carlos] endangered the safety of an opponent, using his studs with excessive force to make contact to the Achilles and calf of an opponent,” Referee Jon Freemon said.
To open up the second half, Houston’s Agustín Bouzat nearly caught LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris off guard, attempting a chip shot near midfield that hit the top of the crossbar.
LAFC midfielder Mark Delgado put LAFC up 1-0 after scoring a long-distance shot in the 55th minute.
In the 76th minute, Bouzat received a straight red card after fouling Son during a transitional play as the last defender.
The two ejections allowed LAFC to maintain control of the ball for 70 percent of the match, with Houston rarely having possession or posing a threat.
The Black and Gold’s constant pressure led to the team finishing with a total of six shots on goal and eight corner kick opportunities.
LA has started the season as one of the most consistent defensive squads in MLS, having finished three straight matches with a clean sheet.
“We’re defending collectively, and this is a team effort,” Dos Santos said. “It’s not just a few players [contributing], and we have to keep growing and stay as a team.”
LAFC defender Ryan Porteous played a crucial role in maintaining the strong backline, making a series of key defensive stops and sound game management decisions.
LAFC has played four games in the span of twelve days.
“Regardless of the red cards, we knew we were in control of the game but knew it would be a tough game for us,” Porteous said. “For a defender, a clean sheet and a win is really important for us, and that’s what we want to try and base ourselves off. There’s a
lot of games, but as a football player, that’s what you want and [we] wanted to play as many as possible.”
With the two-man advantage, LAFC’s second goal came from a 20-yard shot from LA’s Stephen Eustáquio in the 82nd minute to secure the 2-0 victory over Houston.
“Houston started the game very well and gave us a couple of problems, but I felt that we were in a controlled situation," Eustáquio said. “Our offensive players win us games, but it’s our defense that wins us championships. We are a team that defends well and have been outstanding in our [offensive] process.”
LA will play FC Dallas at the BMO Stadium on March 7 at 9:30 pm CST.
