Giroud, Loris propel LAFC to 3-1 extra-time victory over Sporting KC in US Open Cup final
AP Sports Writer
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris reached the pinnacle of soccer’s mountaintop by helping France win the 2018 World Cup.
On Wednesday night, they said they celebrated just the same after helping Los Angeles Football Club take home the Lamar Hunt U.S. Open Cup with a 3-1 victory over Sporting Kansas City in extra time.
Giroud and Lloris were just as surprised to be feeling the same emotion, but adding another trophy can do that.
“It is different when you have to play in a final. You just go for it. I’m really proud of the team,” said Giroud, who opened the scoring in the second half.
It is the 12th major trophy for Giroud, who turns 38 on Monday. Lloris joined LAFC this year, becoming the first World Cup winner to play for the club.
Omar Campos and Kei Kamara scored in extra time to give LAFC its fourth trophy since starting play in 2018. The club captured Major League Soccer’s Supporters Shield as the top club in the regular season in 2019 and ’22, and beat the Philadelphia Union on penalty kicks to win the MLS Cup in 2022.
LAFC’s first appearance in the Open Cup championship snapped a run of four straight title matches across various competitions without a victory. It was the 109th Open Cup, America’s oldest national soccer competition.
“A trophy is a trophy. It means a lot for the club and we celebrated with the fans because they deserved it as well,” said Lloris, who made four saves. “It helps gives us a boost for the end of the season.”
By advancing to the finals of the Leagues Cup and U.S. Open Cup, LAFC is on pace to play 46 matches in the regular season. It played 53 last year, including advancing to the final of the CONCACAF Champions League and MLS Cup.
With Wednesday’s win, LAFC is 48-25-21 in all competitions over the past two seasons.
“We’re happy to win. We were due,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “The boys made it difficult on themselves. They understood the job and got it done.”
Erik Thommy scored for Sporting KC, which had won its four previous Open Cup finals, the last in 2017.
Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia made three saves that helped keep the game scoreless in the first half.
“I’m proud of the team,” coach Peter Vermes said. “The 3-1 score doesn’t reflect what happened. Maybe playing at home worked in their favor.”
Giroud broke through for LAFC in the 53rd minute, catching Melia out of the goal and beating two defenders.
It was Giroud’s second goal in 10 matches for LAFC. His other goal came in the Leagues Cup final loss to Columbus.
Thommy tied it up in the 60th with a blast inside the near post off a cross from Dániel Sallói.
Campos, a second-half substitute, scored in the 102nd from atop the box for his first goal with LAFC.
Kamara, the second-leading goal-scorer in MLS history, added an insurance goal on a header in the 109th.
It is the second time Kamara has won the U.S. Open Cup. Ironically, the other time was in 2012 with Sporting KC.
The 40-year old striker has a unique perspective when it comes to winning this competition.
“It’s amazing. For me the Open Cup, we look at the big leagues but it is the FA Cup of our America,” he said. “You get to play in these crazy games against teams that would never get the chance to play against top MLS teams unless it is the preseason.”
LAFC is fourth in the Western Conference going into the home stretch of the MLS regular season. Sporting KC will not qualify for the postseason.
“We don’t want to stop with this trophy,” Giroud said. “We know we want to finish the season strong, qualify for the playoffs and go as far as we can.”
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AP sports writer Anne Peterson in Portland, Oregon, contributed to this story.
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