August 17, 2022 – Major League Soccer (MLS) – Los Angeles FC News Release
Maxime Crepeau made three saves and Mahala Opoku came off the bench to score the game’s only goal midway through the second half as LAFC extended its club record winning streak to seven games with a 1-0 win over D.C. United in front of a capacity crowd at Banc of California Stadium on Tuesday night. In addition to winning seven consecutive MLS games, the club has also won seven consecutive home games and remain atop the MLS standings with an 18-4-3 record for 57 points.
After a scoreless first half, D.C. United were reduced to 10 men in the 60th minute when captain Steve Birnbaum was sent off after receiving his second yellow card. Opoku entered the game two minutes later, and in the 67th minute, he broke the deadlock, finishing off a pass from Cristian Arango to give LAFC the lead and the win. LAFC is now nine points ahead of both Austin FC and the Philadelphia Union in the Supporters Shield standings with nine regular season matches remaining.
LAFC will be back in action on Saturday, August 20 when they start a run of three consecutive road games with a trip north to face the San Jose Earthquakes. That game kicks off at 7 p.m. PT and will be broadcast locally on KCOP13 and Estrella TV. It will also be available on the radio on ESPN 710 AM, the ESPN LA App, and 980 AM La Mera La Mera.
NEWS & NOTES:
With the win, LAFC is now 18-4-3 on the season for a league-best 57 points. The club is nine points ahead of Austin FC and the Philadelphia Union in the race for the Supporters Shield.
The 57 points for LAFC match their total from their inaugural 2018 season. Only in 2019 has the club recorded more than 57 points in a season.
LAFC is now 11-1-2 at home this season for 35 of the club’s MLS-best 57 points. LAFC’s 35 points at home are more than 19 other teams have in all games this season.
Tonight’s win extended LAFC’s winning streak in league games to a club record seven games. This is the second longest winning streak in MLS since the end of the shootout in 2000. Only the Seattle Sounders have a longer regular season winning streak than LAFC, winning nine straight in 2018.
The win was also LAFC’s seventh straight home victory, setting a new club record.
This was LAFC’s first 1-0 win of the season. This was just the third time in 14 home games that LAFC did not score multiple goals.
In nine games against the Eastern Conference this season, LAFC is 8-0-1 for 25 of a possible 27 points.
LAFC is now a perfect 14-0-0 when scoring first this season.
With its goal tonight, LAFC has now scored in 39 consecutive regular season home games dating back to August 22, 2020. That is the second longest streak in MLS history. D.C. United scored in 64 consecutive regular season home games during the 1996-99 seasons.
With its second half goal, LAFC has now outscored its opponents 37-6 in the second half this season for a +31 goal differential.
Mahala Opoku’s 67th minute goal was the 15th by an LAFC substitute this season. That matches the second-most goals scored by a substitute in a single season. D.C. United had 15 goals scored by subs in 2016 while the 1998 Colorado Rapids had 18 goals scored by substitutes.
Opoku now has a career-high six goals on the season, with three of his six goals coming in games that he did not start.
Cristian Arango and Carlos Vela were each credited with assists on the goal.
Dating back to May 28, Arango has either a goal or an assist in 10 of his last 12 games, scoring 10 goals and adding three assists in that time.
Vela now has 10 assists this season and 45 in his LAFC career. He is the eighth player to register 10 or more assists in MLS this season.
Vela now has 10 or more assists in three of his five seasons with LAFC.
Maxime Crepeau earned his eighth shutout by making three saves on the night. This is the first time that he has recorded consecutive clean sheets since joining the club ahead of the start of this season.
This is the first time that LAFC has registered consecutive shutouts since July 3 and July 7, 2021.
LAFC is now 2-0-1 all-time against D.C. United. All three of those games have seen a player shown a red card.
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