COLUMBUS, Ohio — The Los Angeles Football Club lost a battle but won the war.
Despite losing to the Columbus Crew, 2-1, on Tuesday night, LAFC advanced to the quarterfinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup with a 4-2 aggregate score in their two-leg series.
LAFC took a healthy cushion into the second leg after a dominant performance last week at BMO Stadium, but a strong first-half showing gave Columbus a chance. After former LAFC forward Diego Rossi eluded the LAFC defense along the left flank in the 10th minute, he lifted a cross into the box and Jacen Russell-Rowe volleyed it in from close range.
When Rossi converted a penalty kick just before halftime the Crew trailed just 3-2 on aggregate. Columbus – which outshot LAFC 22-9 – had several chances in the second half, including a shot in stoppage time by Dylan Chambost that was stopped by LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
LAFC secured the series when Denis Bouanga capped a two-on-one breakaway with Cengiz Under by rolling in a goal in the sixth minute of second-half stoppage time, his third of the series.
LAFC will face either Inter Miami or Jamaica’s Cavalier in the quarterfinals. Miami leads 2-0 on aggregate with the second leg to be played on Thursday in Kingston, Jamaica.
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