April 8 – Despite starting the 1st leg of the Concacaf Champions Cup as favorites, LAFC found themselves immediately on the back foot in their BMO Stadium as Cruz Azul, before turning early pressure around to take a 3-0 lead into the second leg next week.
Backed by a healthy away support, Cruz Azul began the match with a high-tempo pressure game that seemed to catch Marco dos Santos’ LAFC side by surprise. But by the night’s end, the table had been turned but it took time for the Angelenos to find their stride..
For the first thirty minutes, La Máquina dominated proceedings with Hugo Lloris the busiest Black & Gold player, saving well from Gabriel Fernández in the 9th minute and Agustín Palavecino ten minutes later.
Nicolás Larcamón’s team looked comfortable in every aspect of the game, and then, Son Heung-Min simply changed the game. The South Korean showed that despite being almost a year away from the English Premier League, he still possesses the class to turn matches.
At the half-hour mark, Mathieu Choinière was released, and his explosive speed was too much for Érik Lira, who could only be a spectator. His cross laid the ball on a plate, and Son finished ruthlessly.
Just nine minutes later, Lira was again embarrassed by the blazing acceleration of David Martínez, who latched on to a Choinière through ball to double the advantage with an ice-cool finish past Kevin Mier. La Máquina, stunned!
Keylor Antonio Herrera Villalobos’ half-time whistle brought relief to the visitors and a chance for Larcamón to re-evaluate as his team headed to the locker room boasting 67% of the possession and a two-goal deficit.
Two would become three as Martínez was channelled toward goal by his teammate, Son. The Venezuelan international picked up the ball on the halfway line. Sprinted with pace at a retreating Cruz Azul backline and found the corner with an unerring finish into the bottom corner for a stunning goal that blew the hinges of the Mexican’s door.
As defending champions, Cruz Azul would need to show pride, but instead, they lost composure. Minor fouls provoked confrontations, making life difficult for Herrera Villalobos.
When chances did come La Máquina’s way, either the shooting was wayward, or Lloris would show clean handling, most notably from Luka Romero and Carlos Rotondi. Meanwhile, LAFC possessed danger on the counterattack, preventing Cruz Azul from going all out for a vital away goal.
The final whistle signalled an end to a quite brilliant performance for the home side. With a three-nil lead to take back to Mexico, a 12-game unbeaten streak intact, the MLS side has one foot in the semi-final. For Cruz Azul, they’ll be heading back to the drawing board with the realization that American opposition isn’t what it used to be.
Champions Cup 1st Leg: LAFC 3 – 0 Cruz Azul (3-0)
2nd Leg, April 14, Estadio Cuauhtémoc, Puebla