The hellish ride that has been 2020 and the roller coaster that has been LAFC this season converged in Orlando for our final match this year. LAFC, as improbable as it may have seemed at times, found itself in the final of the CONCACAF Champions League tournament, and oh, what a ride it was!
After a contentious and well-played first half by both sides, LAFC, without Eduard Atuesta, raced out to a 1-0 lead off of a chip shot from the 2020 Golden Boot winner, Diego Rossi, from a great pass by “The Canadian Glory Machine”, Mark-Anthony Kaye. Unfortunately, LAFC couldn’t hold the lead, as the most capped man in Tigres history, Hugo Ayala, leveled the match at one apiece. It would be a war of attrition until the waning moments, when Tigres’ star André-Pierre Gignac found a relatively open net in the 84th minute, ending the season for the Black and Gold and dashing the hopes of a win in our first final.
On this episode, you’ll hear a hurt pair of Defenders. We all feel for our club in this loss, and there is NO doubt in our minds that you are hurting, too. But you’ll also hear optimism from Filly and the Scarf. You’ll hear hope! And you’ll hear our thoughts on a fantastic cup run that came up just short. Should Bob be man-marking, or at least putting someone on the back line? Why is Brian Rodriguez in the doghouse? And who are Filly and the Scarf’s favorite emerging players from 2020?
Also on Episode 134, we thank the millions (and millions), we miss Founders and Christmas Tree Lane, and we play Name That Perez one last time. Here’s to one heck of a ride in 2020, and one more episode of the most LAFC podcast on Earth in season 3!