LAFC Wins First U.S. Open Cup Championship with 3-1 Win over Sporting Kansas City

September 26, 2024 – Major League Soccer (MLS)
Los Angeles FC News Release

LAFC won the 2024 Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-1 win over Sporting Kansas City in extra time on Wednesday night in front of a capacity crowd at BMO Stadium. Olivier Giroud scored his first-ever goal at BMO Stadium in regulation time before substitutes Omar Campos and Kei Kamara broke a 1-1 tie by scoring in extra time to help LAFC lift the Open Cup for the first time in club history.

After a tight first half that saw each goalkeeper called upon to make multiple saves, LAFC was able to break the deadlock in the 53rd minute thanks to Giroud. The combination of Maxime Chanot and Eddie Segura won the ball in midfield before quickly playing forward for Sergi Palencia. His through ball found Mateusz Bogusz streaking in on the right wing and the Polish international was able to hit a low cross into the center of the box for Giroud, the high-profile summer acquisition who side-footed Bogusz’s delivery into the net, giving LAFC a 1-0 lead.

Sporting Kansas City equalized seven minutes later when Erik Thommy took a pass from Dániel Sallói and hit a right-footed shot just inside the post, tying the score 1-1.

The score would stay that way until the end of 90 minutes, sending the game into extra time. LAFC would go back in front just before the end of the first 15-minute period thanks to the first goal of Omar Campos’ LAFC career. Cristian Olivera collected the ball just inside the box on the right and was able to hold off a Sporting defender before playing a short pass to Campos, who cut inside onto his right foot and curled a right-footed shot past the dive of Tim Melia and inside the post, giving LAFC a 2-1 advantage.

In the second half of extra time, Kei Kamara put the game out of reach, heading home a Denis Bouanga cross in the 109th minute to make the score 3-1 and seal the first U.S. Open Cup championship in LAFC history.

This is the fourth major trophy in LAFC’s seven-year history, joining the 2019 and 2022 Supporters’ Shields and the 2022 MLS Cup.

LAFC returns to MLS action on Saturday, September 28 when the club heads to Ohio to take on FC Cincinnati. That game kicks off at 4:30 p.m. PT, and will be shown live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.

NEWS & NOTES

This is the first U.S. Open Cup championship in LAFC’s history. Before this year, the club’s deepest Cup run was to the Semifinals in its inaugural 2018 season.

LAFC finishes the 2024 competition with a perfect 5-0-0 record in the Open…