Carlos Vela’s Late Goal Secures Win For LAFC

LAFC came from behind to defeat Sporting Kansas City 2-1 on Saturday night at Children’s Mercy Park in Kansas City.

Carlos Vela scored the game-winning goal in the 90th minute, snapping LAFC’s three-game losing streak and making the Black & Gold the quickest team in MLS history to reach 300 points. LAFC scored 302 points in just 174 MLS regular season games beginning in 2018.

Alan Pulido converted a penalty kick in the 17th minute to give Kansas City the lead. Denil Maldonado scored his first MLS goal in the 48th minute for LAFC, and Vela scored the game-winning goal after a full-field assist from Aaron Long. Sporting Kansas City appeared to have tied the game in stoppage time, but Roger Espinoza’s header goal was disallowed due to an earlier foul on SKC’s Khiry Shelton.

LAFC is now 8-3-5 (29 points) and is tied for first place in the Western Conference with St. Louis City.