San Jose, March 9. Three goals from Gabonese striker Denis Bouanga handed American Los Angeles FC a comfortable 3-0 win on Thursday when they visited Costa Rican Alajuelense in the Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 first leg.
Bouanga’s hat-trick at the Alejandro Morera Soto stadium in the city of Alajuela guides the North American team’s qualification to the quarter-finals, but they will have to confirm it in the second leg, at home, next Thursday.
The Gabonese’s goals at 47, 70 and 90 were a fair price for Los Angeles and the advantage could have been much greater if it had not been for the good presentation of the local goalkeeper, Leonel Moreira.
Alajuelense started the game aiming for an early goal at home but ran into a solid opponent in the defense led by Italian veteran Giorgio Chiellini, who left no space or chances to mark clear.
It was the visiting team that began to dominate the action with Mexican Carlos Vela as the most unbalancing player and accompanied by speed from the sides of Ghanaian Kwandwo and Gabonese Bouanga.
Los Angeles insisted with shots from outside the box from Vela, Cifuentes and Acosta that were contained by goalkeeper Moreira.
Those closest to scoring in the first half were Kwandow, whose shot was parried with his feet by the home keeper, and Bouanga, who smashed the ball incredibly vertically when he had only ‘to send it into the net from the area girl. .
Alajuelense tried to shake off the visitors’ dominance and were able to get close to the rivals’ goal with deflected shots from Alexis Gamboa and Josimar Alcocer.
The balance started to tip at the start of the second half when, at minute 47, Bouanga opened the scoring with a shot from close range after a low cross.
Alajuelense coach Argentine Andrés Carevic moved his chips and sent Panama forward Freddy Góndola and Honduran striker Ángel Tejeda onto the pitch in an attempt to tie the game.
It was young striker Josimar Alcocer who came closest to scoring with a shot from outside the box that forced goalkeeper John McCarthy to stretch.
Los Angeles FC dominated the game and a long succession of passes culminated in excellent individual play from right-back Ryan Hollingshead, who entered the box and served the ball at the far post where Bouanga appeared again for score 0-2 on the minute. 70.
The goal was a very hard blow for the home team, who could not recover or generate more chances to at least discount the disadvantage.
Bouanga’s great evening ended with a superb goal in the 90th minute, thanks to a powerful cross shot.
data sheet
0. Aljuelense: Leonel Moreira, Carlos Martinez (Yael Lopez, m.80), Giancarlo Gonzalez, Alexis Gamboa, Suhander Zuniga (Ian Lawrence, m.80); Celso Borges (Rashir Parkins, m.24), Alexander Lopez, Aaron Suarez (Angel Tejeda, m.54); Josimar Alcocer, Carlos Mora (Freddy Gondola, m.54) and Johan Venegas.
Coach: Andres Carevic.
3. Los Angeles FC: John McCarthy, Ryan Hollingshead, Jesus Murillo, Giorgio Chiellini, Diego Palacios (Sergi Palence, m.76); Ilie Sanchez, Kellyn Acosta, Jose Cifuentes; Carlos Vela (Timothy Tillman, 67), Denis Bouanga and Opoku Kwadwo (Stipe Biuk, 76).
Coach: Steve Cherundolo.
Referee: Jamaican Daneon Parchment. He berated Parkins of Alajuela and Murillo of Los Angeles.
Goles: 0-1, m.47: Bouanga. 0-2, m.70: Bouanga. 0-3, m.90: Bouga.
Incidents: First leg of the round of 16 of the Concacaf Champions League, played at the Alejandro Morera Soto stadium in the Costa Rican city of Alajuela. ECE
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