The hosts got off to a quick start, with star man Carlos Vela scoring after just four minutes. From outside the box, midfielder Eduard Atuesta sent a perfect through ball toward the penalty spot, where Vela received and quickly struck on the turn for his first goal of the season.
LAFC used the goal as a foundation for a half where they were the dominant side, and added shots to their count accordingly. They got close again to scoring in the 44th minute, when Jose Cifuentes' shot from outside the box was saved by Jimmy Maurer. For their part, Dallas had opportunities but ended the first half without a shot on goal.
Dallas had the first meaningful scoring opportunity of the second half, with Ryan Hollingshead's header forcing LAFC goalkeeper Tomas Romero into a save. LAFC maintained much of the first half performance, though, forcing Maurer to bail his side out again and again.
Eventually, though, LAFC got a second through Latif Blessing in the 68th minute. From the left side of goal, Vela sent a ball across the goal line and Blessing was there to meet it, scoring from close range to record his first goal of the 2021 season.
The pace of the game slowed slightly, but still Maurer was forced into a few more saves to keep the scoreline as is. In the end, LAFC picked up ta morale-boosting heir first clean sheet of the season while Dallas remain bottom of the Western Conference.
Three Things
- THE BIG PICTURE: LAFC picked up their first win in three matches with a solid performance over the West's bottom team, and got the boost of Carlos Vela scoring his first goal of 2021. As for Dallas, Maurer provided a bright spot as they continue to struggle going forward. The team recorded only one shot on target out of 13, a Hollingshead header early in the second half.
- MOMENT OF THE MATCH: Vela finally got on the scoresheet this season with a goal in the fourth minute, the result of a smart pass from Atuesta from outside the box.
- MAN OF THE MATCH: The best version of Vela was on display against Dallas, as he put up a goal and an assist for LAFC and recorded seven shots overall.
Next Up
- LAFC: Saturday, June 26 at Sporting Kansas City | 5:30 pm ET | ESPN | 2021 regular season
- DAL: Sunday, June 27 vs. New England Revolution | 9 pm ET | MLS LIVE on ESPN+ | 2021 regular season
