The Western Conference game was full of emotion from start to finish — and it ended LA’s six-game undefeated streak (2W-0L-4D). Boyd scored a goal in the 26th minute before Puig’s 73rd-minute winner canceled out Ili Sanchez’s equaliser.
“It’s an exciting situation,” LA head coach/sporting director Greg Vanney said. “For me, personally, to go back to the Rose Bowl, take a second to look at it as a whole, and realize how far the league has come since we kicked it off in ’96. The two teams, the matchup tonight, the quality of the players on the field — all of it.
“It’s an incredible place, an incredible atmosphere and an amazing game, and I think it’s as entertaining as these games always do.”
After dropping out of the CONCACAF Champions League final in early June, LAFC have now lost eight of their last 11 games in all competitions. However, the crowd still resonated with the black and gold.
LAFC head coach Steve Cerundolo said post-game. “It felt like a playoff game and a real game that mattered not only to the 22 players on the field, but to the 82,000 people here and around LA. It was great and a great atmosphere for everyone who was here tonight.”
