đŹ The Debrief as Leagues Cup knockouts begin with two MLS exits
More Leagues Cup action continued on Wednesday as the Round of 32 kicked off with two scheduled games. Here is what went down.
What happened
Major League Soccer clubs from the Western Conference were in action as the giants prevailed, and a Liga MX side also won bragging rights.
Already looking like Step Brothers. đ
Will Ferrell is making Olivier Giroud feel right at home in LA. đ€ pic.twitter.com/lSu78gVNjP
â Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 8, 2024
Supportersâ Shield contenders Los Angeles FC managed to beat rivals Austin FC 2-0 despite only 34% of the ball and three shots on target. Tournament top scorer Kike Oliviera came off the bench to secure the victory.
A lethal counterattack is finished off by Kike Olivera. đ„
It's his 3rd goal of @LeaguesCup so far, making him the top scorer in the tournament. đ pic.twitter.com/9wnj2DHFik
â Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 8, 2024
Meanwhile, up in Canada, Pumas made the trip to BC Place and walked away with a 2-0 win. The Whitecaps may have pulled off a comeback to reach the knockouts but couldnât do it again to stay alive.
Zurdazo del 'Chino' Huerta para adelantar a los Pumas en Vancouver#LeaguesCup2024
Watch free on Apple TV đ https://t.co/w5P5xSzWUe pic.twitter.com/WIVaXEHAjz
â Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 8, 2024
Moment of the night
After an already eye-catching tournament, Pumas goalkeeper Julio José Gonzålez pulled off some outrageous acrobatics to hand his side a massive confidence boost.
Fafa Picaultâs cross found Levonte Johnson in the box but the forwardâs darting volley was cleared away thanks to a diving save. Immediately after, Pumas opened the scoring and then doubled their lead after the break.
ÂĄPero quĂ© paradĂłn de Julio GonzĂĄlez!@WhitecapsFC đ @PumasMX
Watch free on Apple TV đ https://t.co/w5P5xSzWUe pic.twitter.com/AaGBa3XuoN
â Leagues Cup (@LeaguesCup) August 8, 2024
Player of the night
This honour goes to one Hugo Lloris. With fellow Frenchman Olivier Giroud in the house, the goalkeeper made sure to put on a show.
Denis Bouanga in space đ° Goal âœïž#LAFCvATX 1-0 pic.twitter.com/x0UU7vGG74
â LAFC (@LAFC) August 8, 2024
He first provided a visionary assist for Denis Bouanga to score LAFCâs opener before he matched the above goalkeeping heroics with a diving save of his own.
â Denied by Hugo Lloris â pic.twitter.com/APppRLqJjA
â LAFC (@LAFC) August 8, 2024
What this means
It means the Whitecaps have suffered back-to-back Round of 32 exits, and they will want star player Ryan Gauld back in action as quickly as possible.
Austin exits the tournament having not defeated their third giant in as many games. However, those victories over Pumas and Monterrey wonât be forgotten.
Keep fighting boys đ #VWFC | #LeaguesCup2024 pic.twitter.com/nniE8AAMZZ
â Vancouver Whitecaps FC (@WhitecapsFC) August 8, 2024
LAFC will continue their pursuit of battling Inter Miami for another title, while Pumas will see this win as a way to kickstart their confidence after only scraping into the knockouts.
What comes next
More Leagues Cup action continues on Thursday as holders Inter Miami kick things off against Toronto FC before another three games take centre stage. Tigres and LA Galaxy are notably in the mix.
Feature image credit: © Kiyoshi Mio-USA TODAY Sports