Riaan 
Kungcono ukuba nenhlanhla kunokuhle. Kodwa kuthiwani uma ningaba nobabili?
Akukho mbuzo LAFC kuhle. Iqembu liwine konke obekumele liwine ku-MLS ngesizini edlule, labe selivula le sizini ngokunqoba okuthathu okulandelanayo lapho lishaye khona amahlandla ayi-10.
Manje inhlanhla ibonakala imomotheka naseqenjini, njengoba i-LAFC idlulela kuma-quarterfinal ICONCACAF Champions League naphezu kokwehlulwa ngo 2-1 yikilabhu yaseCosta Rica ngoLwesithathu I-Alajuelense eBMO Stadium.
I-CCL idlalwa ochungechungeni lwemilenze emibili yokuba sekhaya nokuba kude, amaphuzu ahlanganisiwe asho owinile. I-LAFC iwine umlenze wokuqala ngo 3-0 ngesonto eledlule eCosta Rica, ngakho ukuhlulwa kwegoli elilodwa ngoLwesithathu bekungenele ukuyivimba ukuthi iqhubeke njengoba inqobe ngo 4-2 sekuhlanganiswe yonke.
“Sijabule ngokuba khona komunye umqhudelwano, obekuyinhloso,” kusho umqeqeshi we-LAFC uSteve Cherundolo.
Futhi inhlanhla ye-LAFC kungenzeka ukuthi iyilandele kuma-quarterfinal enyanga ezayo, lapho iqembu lizohlangana neVancouver Whitecaps. IVancouver ibe nesizini eyodwa yokuwina kumdlalo we-MLS kusukela ngo-2017 kanti i-LAFC kube yiqembu eliphumelele kakhulu kwiligi kuleso sikhathi.
Ngaphezu kwalokho, iqembu elilodwa kuphela kwamane asele ohlangothini lwe-LAFC kubakaki livela eMexico kanti abathathu kwabane abafinyelela kowamanqamu ngakolunye uhlangothi bangaqhamuka kuLiga MX, kuya ngemiphumela yangoLwesine. Ukugwema amaqembu aseMexico kubalulekile ekugijimeni okujulile ku-CCL, umqhudelwano wamakilabhu ohlonishwa kakhulu esifundeni, njengoba iLiga MX ithole izicoco eziyi-16 zilandelana ngaphambi kokuthi iSeattle Sounders iwine umqhudelwano wangonyaka odlule.
“Kuyi-quarterfinal yeChampions League. Wonke umdlalo kufanele ube nzima,” kusho uCherundolo. “Siyawathanda amathuba ethu.”
Okokuqala kwakumele badlule e-Alajuelense, eyayidinga ukunqoba okukhulu ukuze bahlale bephila. Futhi amaCosta Ricans aphume eqinile, ahola ngomzuzu wesishiyagalombili ngegoli lokukhahlela elivela kumdlali wasemuva weGalaxy uGiancarlo González. Amaphuzu asungulwe lapho ukubuyekezwa okude kwevidiyo kwaphela lapho uGiorgio Chiellini we-LAFC ebizwa ngebhola lezandla ebhokisini.
Ukushoda bekuyi-LAFC yokuqala, edlala okwesine ezinsukwini eziyi-11, ebhekane nayo kule sizini. Umdlali wasemuva u-Aaron Long ucishe wayisula ngomzuzu we-15 lapho eshaya ikhona ekhahlela i-crossbar, kwathi i-LAFC yaphinde yenqatshwa ngaphambi nje kwekhefu lapho unozinti we-Alajuelense uLionel Moreira esindisa ngendlela emangalisayo ngephuzu elingenalutho lika-Stipe Biuk, ongomunye wama-26. Amashothi e-LAFC ebusuku.
Lokho kuvumele u-Alajuelense ka-Aaron Suárez ukuthi aphindele kabili phambili emizuzwini eyisikhombisa esiwombeni sesibili lapho ephinda ephakamisa unozinti we-LAFC uJohn McCarthy, edonsa u-Alajuelense phakathi kwegoli le-LAFC kumaphuzu ahlanganisiwe. Okunye okumangalisayo kokusindisa okuvela ku-Moreira emizuzwini eyisithupha kamuva – lokhu kube ukugxuma, ukuphambuka ngesandla esisodwa kwekhanda likaCarlos Vela – kugcine amaphuzu ku-2-0.
UVela ushaye igoli lakhe kwesokunxele ngomzuzu ka-83 eshaya igoli lakhe lesibili lonyaka.
