Los Angeles FC Triumphs Over Sporting Kansas City to Clinch U.S. Open Cup Title

LOS ANGELES, CA. (Sept. 25, 2024) – In a dramatic final at BMO Stadium, Los Angeles FC (LAFC) defeated Sporting Kansas City (SKC) 3-1, capturing their first Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup title in front of a capacity crowd of over 22,000 fans. The victory marked a historic moment for the club, which previously struggled to secure a win in major tournament finals.

The match began with both teams eagerly pressing forward, each creating potential scoring opportunities within the first 20 minutes. Sporting KC came close twice, testing LAFC’s veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. LAFC’s attack, led by Denis Bouanga and Mateusz Bogusz, seemed poised to break the deadlock, but Tim Melia‘s saving efforts for SKC kept the first half scoreless.

Olivier Giroud, in his debut Open Cup appearance for LAFC, opened the scoring in the 53rd minute. After a midfield turnover, Sergi Palencia’s incisive pass to Bogusz allowed the latter to set up Giroud for a tap-in, giving LAFC the lead. Sporting KC quickly responded seven minutes later when Erik Thommy leveled the match with his near-post strike, assisted by Dániel Sallói.

Despite applying pressure in the latter stages, LAFC could not clinch the win during regulation time, forcing the match into extra time. The breakthrough for LAFC arrived in the 102nd minute; referee Armando Villarreal played advantage following a foul on Bouanga, enabling Omar Campos to score the decisive goal. Campos gracefully navigated SKC’s defense before placing his shot into the bottom corner.

Los Angeles native Kei Kamara then secured the victory with a remarkable header in the 109th minute, concluding the scoring at 3-1. Kamara’s goal against his former club was a nostalgic nod to his earlier career successes. His perspective on the competition resonated widely: “It’s amazing. For me, the Open Cup is like the FA Cup of our America.”

Hugo Lloris, reflecting on the team’s achievement, commented, “A trophy is a trophy. It means a lot for the club, and we celebrated with the fans because they deserved it as well.” In the post-match atmosphere, LAFC’s head coach Steve Cherundolo expressed his relief, “We were due. The boys made it difficult, but they understood the job and got it done.”

On the opposing side, SKC head coach Peter Vermes acknowledged the effort but lamented the outcome, “The 3-1 score doesn’t reflect what happened. Maybe playing at home worked in their favor.”

As LAFC continues their season, their eyes remain on achieving further success, with Giroud emphasizing, “We don’t want to stop with this trophy. We know we want to finish the season strong.”