It was a night of brilliant midweek soccer at the Banc of California Stadium as the Los Angeles Football Club returned to winning ways in a 2-0 victory against Minnesota United Football Club.
LAFC was still without injured striker Marco Ureña, who continues to recover from surgery after facial fractures suffered against the Seattle Sounders, but that did not stop Bob Bradley's men from producing a night of dazzling attacking football as they took all three points after Sunday's draw against Dallas.
The game got off to a hot start as both sides saw efforts clatter of the upright within just the opening seven minutes.
First it was LAFC's Diego Rossi who clung on to a beautifully weighted through ball by Eduard Atuesta in the sixth minute, but Minnesota's Bobby Shuttlesworth did well to come off his line and cut the angle as Rossi's low shot to the far post hit the woodwork.
Just one minute later, Minnesota returned the favor at the other end of the pitch, Darwin Quintero taking out both Atuesta and Laurent Ciman as his left-footed effort kissed the post.
That would be one of the only Minnesota chances in the first half, though, as LAFC asserted control of the game, continually threatening asbo Vela led the line with Rossi and Latif Blessing given freedom to switch flanks out wide.
It would take until the 31st minute for LAFC to open the scoring, though, as Rossi danced into the left side of the Minnesota box and squared the ball. Minnesota's Francisco Calvo overcommitted and left a waiting Atuesta unmarked. The midfielder did not miss from eight yards out and slotted the ball into the back of the net to give the black and gold the 1-0 lead.
Minnesota looked to level just two minutes later, but Tyler Miller was quick off his line to snuff out the danger from an onrushing Miguel Ibarra.
Only six minutes later Mark-Anthony Kaye doubled the lead after Vela's deflected cross found Blessing inside the box. Blessing did well to flick the ball behind him to a waiting Kaye, whose side-footed volley just outside the six yard box made it 2-0.
Minnesota looked to cut the deficit in the waning minutes of the first half, but Walker Zimmerman put his body on the line, diving across the goal to head out Ibarra's near-post shot after Ibarra had rounded Miller.
The second half played out much like the first, LAFC continuing the onslaught and Minnesota only able to create half chances.
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Carlos Vela found Blessing inside the box with a brilliant cross in the 77th minute, but Blessing could only head to Shuttlesworth.
The score would hold as LAFC picked up another win in its prolonged homestand.
The Takeaways:
Switch, Switch, Switch
It's worth mentioning again the fluidity in attack that Bradley's front men displayed on the night.
Vela led the line, and on paper he had Rossi starting to his left and Blessing on his right. The beauty about football, though, is that you can't always judge tactics based on what's on paper. In practice, the front three switched positions with one another time and time again, to equally dangerous effect.
"The players up front have developed a good understanding," Bradley said. "So their movement I think gives us a good dimension, and they handle the freedom really well....They still cover all three areas; it's not like when we lose the ball they're all standing right next to each other."
Atuesta Shines
Atuesta opened the scoring with his first MLS goal since his switch from Colombian side Independiente Medellín, and he looked composed and comfortable on the ball.
"It's an immense joy because it's a change in my life, it's my first international experience," Atuesta said. "And thank God, I have players next to me who have helped me a lot to adapt to the team, the city and even the language."
It would be easy to heap praise on Atuesta based on just his goal, but the truth is the 20-year-old Colombian midfielder was brilliant throughout his 89 minutes on the pitch (he was substituted for Calum Mallace).
Not only did he have the most shots on his team with five, but he also had the most touches and made the most passes for LAFC with 102 and 89, respectively.
Bradley highlighted his importance going forward as multiple LAFC players seem to be headed to the World Cup. "Getting Eduard some games in the midfield now gives everybody confidence that when we're a little bit short on numbers that we've got all good ways to put a team on the field," Bradley said.
For now, LAFC seems to be in safe hands with Atuesta as part of the midfield three.
P*to Chant Seems to be Gone
One thing that was conspicuously absent from Wednesday's game was the anti-gay "p*to" chant that fans were heard loudly chanting in LAFC's first home game.
The day after that game against Seattle, the club came out with a forceful statement against the chant. "Any fans identified as participating in this offensive chanting will be removed from the stadium and the Club will revoke their season membership," the club said.
That warning seems to be working, as does the video message playing before the game, in which players called for fans to "Stop the hateful chant during goal kicks."
It was the only black mark a few weeks ago as LAFC downed Seattle, but the decisive action by the club seems to be having its intended effect, and the club will be hoping things stay that way.
