Giorgio Chiellini, 38, becomes the oldest player to score his first-ever MLS goal in LAFC’s 3-2 win
Giorgio Chiellini, 38, becomes the oldest player to score his first MLS goal when defending champion LAFC halted a second-half Portland attack for a 3-2 victory and begin their defense of the qualification.
Giorgio Chiellini has become the oldest player to score his first MLS goal at age 38, as defending league champions LAFC weather a second-half attack by the Portland Timbers to clinch a win by 3-2 in his attempt to defend his title.
The Euro 2020 winner netted a tap-in from Kellyn Acosta’s cross after the Timbers missed a corner kick in the 24th minute of Saturday’s game at BMO Stadium, home of LAFC.
The Black and Gold had a Ryan Hollingshead goal deflected off the board moments later from a head-scratching free kick.
Former Arsenal and Mexican international Carlos Vela, who had 12 goals and 11 assists in 35 games last season, scored from the spot in the 34th minute to give LAFC a 2-0 lead before halftime after the winger right Kwadwo Opoku outside free kick in the area.
Opoku, 21, added the third seven minutes from half-time (52′), in what seemed like a one-sided match, scoring a low shot into the right corner from inside the box on a counter-attack.
LAFC’s Giorgio Chiellini scored a touch as his first MLS goal in the first half against Portland
Evander, the 24-year-old Brazilian midfielder who joined Portland in December from Midtjylland, scored for the Timbers in the 62nd minute on a four-on-four counter-attack.
Portland midfielder Christian Paredes, also 24, then scored in the 84th minute when John McCarthy, LAFC’s MLS Cup MVP goaltender, ventured too far out of his own net while defending a corner.
The Paraguayan’s late goal provided a nervous end to the West Coast rivalry, with LAFC looking to hang on to all three points after benching some of their stars in what was their first game of the season.
The slavers rested Vela -the team’s top scorer in the last two seasons- and Spanish star Ilie Sánchez on 65′.
Saturday’s win was the first of five in 15 days for LAFC, including two CONCACAF Champions League games.
LAFC’s scheduled season opener at the Rose Bowl against the LA Galaxy last week was postponed by severe storms. Portland beat Sporting Kansas City 1-0 in their opener on February 27.
Retired Welsh forward Gareth Bale and injured goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau brought the MLS Cup onto the pitch in LAFC’s pre-match rituals, when the California-based club won it four months ago.
LAFC improved to 6-0-0 in the opening games of the season, tying Dallas for the only MLS clubs to accomplish that feat in their first six opening games. Los Angeles also became the second defending MLS Cup champion to win their opener in the past seven years.