LAFC extends its unbeaten streak to six games in shutout win over Seattle
LAFC's Denis Bouanga controls the ball in the first half of a win over the Seattle Sounders at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night. (Ronald Martinez / Getty Images)
The weather is starting to heat up and so is LAFC, which ran its unbeaten streak to a season-best six games Wednesday with a 4-0 win over the Seattle Sounders at BMO Stadium.
The four goals, which marked a season high for LAFC, came from Cengiz Under, Jeremy Ebobisse, Denis Bouanga and Yaw Yeboah while goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made three saves to earn his second clean sheet in three games. It was his league-leading sixth shutout of the season.
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LAFC went in front to stay in the 26th minute on Under's second MLS goal, a left-footed strike from well outside the box that appeared to hit a Seattle defender before one-hopping past keeper Andrew Thomas, who was making his second start of the season.
Read more: Reconnecting with Europe: Why LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo is stepping down
The Sounders came within inches of matching that three minutes later, but Pedro de la Vega's shot found the crossbar instead of the back of the net. That allowed Ebobisse to double the lead on a counter five minutes into the second half.
The sequence started with Seattle losing possession at the top of the LAFC penalty area, with the loose ball falling to Under. He pushed it onto the right foot of Igor Jesus, whose long, low through ball found Ebobisse sprinting up the center of the field, splitting two defenders as he entered the Seattle end.
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After running onto the ball, Ebobisse turned Sounder defender Jon Bell around at the top of the box to create space, then beat Thomas cleanly with a right-footed shot inside the left post for his third goal of the season.
David Martínez appeared to add to the lead in the 78th minute, scoring on a brilliant individual effort. But the goal was erased by an offside call on Nathan Ordaz.
That mattered little since Bouanga's goal two minutes later did count. Martínez got the assist on the score, Bouanga's six in as many games during LAFC's unbeaten streak.
Read more: LAFC can't hold on to two-goal lead, settles for tie with Vancouver
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Yeboah then closed out the scoring with his first LAFC goal in the 86th minute.
LAFC (6-4-3) has never lost a regular-season game at home to the Sounders (5-4-4), with Wednesday's win running their record to 8-0-1. The victory also avenged a 5-2 loss, the most one-sided of the season two months ago in Seattle.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
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