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MLS playoffs: Carlos Vela and LAFC outshine Zlatan’s Galaxy in eight-goal thriller

Carlos Vela scored two goals in the first half and set up Diego Rossi’s tiebreaking goal in the second half, and Los Angeles FC advanced to the MLS Western Conference final with a wild 5-3 victory over the LA Galaxy on Thursday night in the first postseason edition of this city rivalry.

Adama Diomande added two goals in the second half as top-seeded LAFC earned the 2-year-old franchise’s first postseason victory. LAFC also beat the Galaxy for the first time in the sixth chapter of the lively crosstown derby dubbed El Tráfico.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic had a goal and an assist in perhaps his final game for the Galaxy while both teams put on a dazzling offensive show in front of a raucous sellout crowd near downtown Los Angeles. The 38-year-old Swede appeared to grab his crotch as he verbally jousted with LAFC fans while exiting the pitch.

CJ Fogler
(@cjzero)

Zlatan has a last goodbye for a heckling LAFC fan, the Marshawn Lynch memorial crotch grab pic.twitter.com/2Z1Y2aSbsw

October 25, 2019

LAFC advanced to face the Seattle Sounders in the Western Conference final on Tuesday night at Banc of California Stadium. The winner faces Toronto FC or Atlanta United for the MLS Cup on 10 November.

After Vela staked LAFC to an early lead with a dominant performance befitting the forward who just set the MLS single-season record with 34 goals, Diomande scored twice as a second-half substitute in his first game in a month.

LAFC needed all that offense to hold off Ibrahimovic. The 38-year-old Swedish superstar set up Cristian Pavon’s goal and then drilled home a tying goal early in the second half, his ninth against LAFC in less than two MLS seasons.

Galaxy star Romain Alessandrini then set up a header by Rolf Feltscher in the 77th minute to trim LAFC’s lead to 4-3, but Diomande rampaged downfield to chip home the clinching goal in the 80th minute.

LAFC posted the best regular season in MLS history in just its second year of existence, reaching the league records for points, goals and goal differential. But LAFC needed this win to shake free of the shadow cast by the five-time champion Galaxy, who were 2-0-3 against LAFC. The Galaxy were revitalized this season by the arrival of coach Guillermo Barros Schelotto and Argentine star Pavon, returning to the playoffs after a two-year absence behind the imperious Ibrahimovic, who scored 30 goals.

After setting an MLS record with 34 goals in his spectacular regular season, Vela opened the postseason with his first career MLS playoff goals. The Mexican star has scored in all six editions of El Tráfico.

Atlanta United 2-0 Philadelphia Union

Julian Gressel scored in the 10th minute, Josef Martínez added a late goal and defending champion Atlanta United beat the Philadelphia Union 2-0 on Thursday night to advance to the Eastern Conference final.

United will host Toronto FC on Wednesday night. Toronto beat top-seed New York City FC 2-1 on the road Wednesday night.

Martínez, who returned to starting lineup after missing United’s first-round win over New England, came on a ball in about 35 yards in front of goal and sent a diagonal pass right ahead of Gressel. The ball entered the box ahead of Gressel, but he got to it before Philadelphia goalkeeper Andre Blake and touched it left around him to the far post for the score.

Atlanta United FC
(@ATLUTD)

The match-winner.

Even better from field level ?? pic.twitter.com/ZVGIDBiBmv

October 25, 2019

Union, which was missing leading scorer Kacper Przybylko because of a foot stress reaction, pressed forward when it could, but United held the ball with 54% possession. Just three of Philadelphia’s 10 shots were on goal, and Union’s best chance to score may have come in the 58th minute, when forward Jack Elliott’s near header off of a corner kick sailed over goal.

Gressel assisted on the Martínez goal, when the striker got forward down the left side and the curled a left footer into the top left corner of the goal, outside of Blake’s reach.

Blake kept the match close when he made consecutive saves on close-range headers by Franco Escobar and Gressel in the 61st minute.

Philadelphia appeared fatigued down the stretch, like because Union last played Sunday in a 120-minute overtime win over New York Red Bulls, while United played a regulation match Saturday. Union coach Jim Curtin used all three of his subs.

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