LOS ANGELES — In a thrilling Western Conference semifinal on Saturday night at BMO Stadium, Jordan Morris scored a pivotal goal in the 109th minute, leading the Seattle Sounders to a dramatic 2-1 overtime win against the top-seeded Los Angeles FC. This victory allowed the fourth-seeded Sounders to secure a place in the conference final.
With this win, Seattle will now face the victor of the second-seeded Los Angeles Galaxy and the No. 6 seed Minnesota United, breaking a significant 10-match winless streak against LAFC in all competitions (0-8-2).
The game commenced with LAFC taking the lead just five minutes into the second half. Defender Ryan Hollingshead capitalized on a turnover committed by Seattle’s Jackson Ragen, scoring with the assistance of Mateusz Bogusz and Eduard Atuesta. This marked Hollingshead’s first goal of the current postseason and his fifth across 23 playoff appearances. Notably, Bogusz achieved his third assist in nine postseason games over the last two years, while Atuesta provided his first assist in seven playoff outings.
Seattle managed to equalize in the 59th minute, benefiting from an own goal by LAFC’s Maxime Chanot. Unfortunately for the Sounders, they lost defender Yéimar Gomez Andrade to injury in the 66th minute, leading to Nathan Raphael Pelae Cardoso stepping in as his replacement.
Morris then emerged as the hero, scoring unassisted to give Seattle the lead. This victory marked his ninth career playoff goal in 23 appearances, following a season where he netted a personal best of 13 goals during the regular campaign.
Goalkeeper Stefan Frei was instrumental in preserving the Sounders’ lead, making nine critical saves, all of which came in the second half and overtime of the match. This was Frei’s 35th career postseason start with the Sounders, during which he previously allowed 33 goals and recorded 15 shutouts. Seattle had the best defensive record in the league during the regular season, conceding only 35 goals.
LAFC’s goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, in his debut season, stopped four shots, three of which were made after the halftime break. Lloris, however, had allowed four goals over his first three playoff starts, with one clean sheet to his name.
The Sounders came into this match with a disappointing record against LAFC this season, having lost all four previous meetings and managing to score only once in those encounters. In their regular-season matchups, Seattle lost 2-1 away and suffered a 3-0 defeat at home. They also faced a 3-0 setback in the Leagues Cup quarterfinal and a 1-0 loss at home in the U.S. Open Cup semifinal against LAFC earlier in the season.
As the highest remaining seed in the playoffs, LAFC aimed to claim their second MLS Cup without needing to leave their home turf. They had won the MLS Cup in 2022 after defeating the Philadelphia Union on penalties, following a 3-3 regulation tie. Last season, the club reached the final but came up short against the Columbus Crew in a 2-1 finish.
The Seattle Sounders, who entered the league in 2009, previously claimed league titles in 2016 and 2019. Their lone victory at BMO Stadium against LAFC came in the 2019 conference final when they triumphed 3-1, overcoming that season’s Supporters’ Shield winners.