November 23, 2024; Los Angeles, California, USA Seattle Sounders FC forward Pedro De La Vega (10) and LAFC defender Aaron Long (33) battle for the ball in the second half of a 2024 MLS Cup Western Conference semifinal match at BMO Stadium. Mandatory credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images Jordan Morris scored in second-half extra time as the Seattle Sounders defeated host Los Angeles FC 2-1 on Saturday night, eliminating the Western Conference’s top seed from the MLS Cup playoffs.
Seattle will play the winner of Sunday’s game between Minnesota and the Los Angeles Galaxy in the conference final.
The Sounders, tied 1-1 on a 59th-minute own goal by LAFC’s Maxime Chanot, snapped a 10-game winless streak (0-8-2) against LAFC and beat them for the first time in five tries. this season. This included defeats in the quarter-finals of the League Cup and the semi-finals of the US Open Cup.
Sounders goalkeeper Stefan Frei made nine saves, including a stop on an Aaron Long bicycle kick in the 87th minute, another on Ryan Hollingshead’s effort in second-half stoppage time, a kick save on Mateusz Bogusz in the first overtime and another to Hollingshead while crashing against the left post in the 120th minute.
The Sounders grabbed the winner off a Joao Paulo left corner in the 109th minute. LAFC drove the ball to the top of the 18-yard box, where Seattle’s Cristian Roldan kept it in play. The ball went past an LA defender and fell to Morris outside the top right corner of the 6-yard box and he turned and fired a shot into the top right corner of the net.
After a scoreless first half, Los Angeles broke through in the 50th minute. After a Seattle turnover near midfield, LAFC pushed forward on the counter attack. Bogus took the ball into the top right-hand corner of the 18-yard box and fed Hollingsend, who was just outside the penalty area. Hollingshead’s right-footed header crashed inside the far post and just wide of a diving Frei.
The Sounders equalized as Albert Rusnak took a pass on the right side of the penalty box and fed Obed Vargas, who made a run toward the end line. Vargas’ low cross deflected off Chanot and just inside the right post, leaving LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris flat-footed.
Lloris made four saves for LAFC, who outshot the Sounders 26-13 — including 10-6 in attempts on net.
–Within field level