Los Angeles (AFP) – Los Angeles FC added two late goals to seal a convincing 3-0 win over Columbus Crew on Saturday to stretch their lead atop Major League Soccer’s Western Conference.
Mark-Anthony Kaye, Adama Diomande and Carlos Vela all scored as LAFC notched their eighth win of the season.
Their 27 points put them five ahead of the Los Angeles Galaxy atop the West after the Galaxy fell 2-0 at home to to New York City FC.
Kaye gave the visitors the lead in the 37th minute. Diomande scored off a defensive gaffe in the 88th and Vela scored his league-leading 12th goal in the 90th.
Meanwhile the Galaxy remained stuck on 22 points with their first loss at home for the season.
Forward Heber put visiting NYCFC up in the 44th minute, tapping home a rebound following Anton Tinnerholm’s shot.
Maximiliano Moralez converted a penalty in first-half stoppage time after twice missing from the spot previously this year.
The second goal was subject to a VAR check that showed a handball by Uriel Antuna on the Swede’s attempted cross.
Both goals came after Zlatan Ibrahimovic thought he had opened the scoring against the run of play in the 27th minute, but the offside flag raised as he tapped into an empty net.
Ibrahimovic was held without a goal for the second straight game as the Galaxy lost their third in a row.
In the East, conference leaders Philadelphia kept their unbeaten streak alive with a 2-1 win at Toronto FC.
Jamiro Monteiro scored the game-winner and Poland’s Kacper Przybylko was in on the build up to both goals as the Union lifted to seven wins, two draws and three defeats — the best start in club history.
Przybylko blasted a left-footed shot that Toronto keeper Quentin Westberg tipped around his post in the 11th minute.
Philadelphia went ahead 1-0 in the 25th minute after Fabrice-Jean Picault and Toronto’s Chris Mavinga both slid toward a cross at 10 yards from goal, the ball deflecting off Mavinga and past Westberg for an own-goal.
After the break a determined Toronto saw striker Jordan Hamilton’s shot and a header off the ensuing corner both sail wide before Alejandro Pozuelo leveled the score with a free kick that Coronel got a hand to but couldn’t deflect.
Philadelphia regained the lead in the 68th, when Monteiro slotted home a cross from Przybylko after the two worked their way through Toronto’s defense.
The win gave Philadelphia 23 points — three ahead of both DC United, who host Sporting Kansas City on Sunday, and Montreal Impact, who lost 2-1 at Cincinnati.
