The game in 200 words (or less): On a night when Carlos Vela failed to score and Diego Rossi had a marginal impact on the game’s proceedings for the majority of the night, Los Angeles FC cruised to a 3-1 victory over a playoff-bound Houston Dynamo side, on the road, and extended their lead in the Supporters’ Shield race to a cool 10 points. Don’t let anyone tell you that LAFC is a one-man team. They even had to overcome an early deficit after conceding a goal inside the game’s first 180 seconds. Increasing the difficulty level for themselves, because are unable to do so? Perhaps. What an embarrassment of riches when Adama Diomande, who would be a star no. 9 for the majority of MLS teams this year and scored a brace on Friday, is the third or fourth or fifth scoring option. A year after Atlanta United rewrote all the MLS record books, we can confidently say we’ve never seen a team as dominant as what LAFC is doing in just its second season of existence.
[ MORE: Allie Long has wedding ring, cash, key to NYC stolen from hotel room ]
Three moments that mattered
3' — Quioto gets a favorable deflection and an early goal — LAFC have hardly been great defensively this season; they’ve just been so good at the other end of the field that it hasn’t mattered. They give up a lot of easily avoidable goals, like this one.
.@RomellSamir with the moves and the early goal. 👌 #HOUvLAFC pic.twitter.com/v1IiHbLLUA
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2019
45'+2 — Diomande skies and loops a magnificent header — There’s no better time to score a goal, particularly one that erases an opponent’s lead, than in the seconds just before halftime. From this point forward, it felt like there could only be one possible outcome.
We are level! Diomande scores just before halftime to make it 1-1. #HOUvLAFC pic.twitter.com/slncIkMnMC
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2019
49' — Diomande slots it home for 2-1 — Remember that thing about LAFC’s defense being a bit of a mess at times? Houston heard that, and took it as a personal challenge.
Nguyen ➡️ Dio x 2⃣
— LAFC (@LAFC) July 13, 2019
Dio finishes from close range with an assist from @LeeNguyen24! #HOUvLAFC 1-2 pic.twitter.com/3StgTJol0D
88' — Rossi puts the game away with a stellar chip — Just trying to imagine how much we would be praising Rossi if he didn’t share a team with Vela.
Diego Rossi gives @LAFC some breathing room! #HOUvLAFC pic.twitter.com/XVISyZ7ymw
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) July 13, 2019
[ FOLLOW: All of PST’s MLS coverage | Standings | Stats | Schedule ]
Man of the match: Adama Diomande
Goalscorers: Quioto (3'), Diomande (45'+2, 49'), Rossi (88')