| | vs | |
| 3 | 28' | Goal | Acosta | 65' | Card | Cifuentes | 83' | Goal | Murillo | 87' | Card | Ibeagha | 116' | Var | Maxime Crépeau | 116' | Card | Maxime Crépeau | 120' | Goal | Bale |
| | 3 0' | Goal | Gazdag | 14' | Card | Elliott | 59' | Goal | Gazdag | 85' | Goal | Elliott | 90' | Card | Carranza | 120' | Goal | Elliott |
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Video Highlights
Play on YouTubeHome Team Lineup Duque Opoku 74
| Bouanga
| Murillo Defender
| Ibeagha Defender
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Palacios Defender
| Vela Forward Bale 97
| Crépeau Goalkeeper
| Cifuentes Midfielder
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Farrés Midfielder
| Acosta Midfielder Tello 91
| Hollingshead Right-Back
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Away Team Lineup Carranza
| Mbaizo Defender
| Glesnes Defender
| Elliott Defender
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Wagner Defender
| Uhre Forward Burke 71
| Blake Goalkeeper
| McGlynn Midfielder 84
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Martínez Midfielder
| Flach Midfielder
| Gazdag Midfielder
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Shots on Goal
Shots off Goal
Total Shots
Blocked Shots
Shots insidebox
Shots outsidebox
Fouls
Corner Kicks
Offsides
Ball Possession
Yellow Cards
Red Cards
Goalkeeper Saves
Total passes
Passes accurate
Passes %
Description MLS Cup 2022 was the 27th edition of the MLS Cup, the championship match of Major League Soccer (MLS) at the conclusion of the 2022 MLS Cup Playoffs. The soccer match took place on November 5, 2022, at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, California, United States. It was contested by hosts Los Angeles FC and the Philadelphia Union to determine the champion of the 2022 season. Both clubs finished the regular season atop the Supporters' Shield standings, but LAFC earned the title with the wins tiebreaker.
Los Angeles FC won their first MLS Cup title in a penalty shootout following a 3–3 draw in extra time. It tied the record for the highest-scoring final in MLS Cup history and featured the two latest goals to be scored in an MLS Cup Playoffs match, scored in stoppage time by Jack Elliott and Gareth Bale. The shootout ended in a 3–0 shutout for LAFC and their substitute goalkeeper John McCarthy, who made several saves in the shootout and was named the most valuable player (MVP) of the match.
Reports Result ListResult DescriptionThe MLS Cup final kicked off at 1:05 p.m. under clear skies and in front of 22,384 spectators in attendance, including 500 fans from Philadelphia in the southeast corner. The two teams fielded most of their normal starting lineups, with the exception of midfielder and captain Alejandro Bedoya for the Union, who was recovering from a hip injury but remained available as a substitute. Cherundolo used a 4–3–3 formation and declined to start Chiellini and Bale, while Curtin kept his standard 4–3–1–2 with Jack McGlynn replacing Bedoya in midfield. LAFC wore their home black kit, while the Union chose their blue-and-yellow secondary jersey. Two-time MLS Referee of the Year Ismail Elfath was selected to officiate the MLS Cup, his first for the tournament. Prior to kickoff, the LAFC supporters group 3252 unveiled a tifo depicting Dragon Ball manga character Gogeta, who shares the club's black-and-gold color scheme, and set off smoke flares.
The Union had the majority of possession and chances to start the first half, but were unable to convert them into shots on goal. LAFC won a free kick near the penalty area, awarded for a foul by José Andrés Martínez on Cristian Arango, and used it to take the lead in the 28th minute; Kellyn Acosta's shot was deflected into the goal by Jack McGlynn, who had jumped as part of the wall. LAFC won a free kick from a similar spot in the 39th minute that they used to nearly score, but Diego Palacios's shot from close range was saved by Andre Blake. The Union responded with their own chance in the 43rd minute as Carranza started a counter-attack and fed the ball to Mikael Uhre, who dribbled into the penalty area but lost the ball to Crépeau's block. The teams entered half-time with eight shots, but LAFC held 1–0 lead and the Union had the majority of possession.
The Union had their next chance to score early in the second half, but Uhre's run into the penalty area was stopped by several LAFC defenders. The match was stopped twice within two minutes to check LAFC's Arango and the Union's Olivier Mbaizo for concussion symptoms after two separate head collisions. After a corner kick for the Union was cleared out, Martínez took a shot from outside the penalty area that was hit Dániel Gazdag, who collected the ball and scored to tie the match at 1–1 in the 59th minute. Despite protests from LAFC's defenders, the goal was given as Gazdag was determined to be onside. LAFC midfielder José Cifuentes was shown a yellow card five minutes later for a collision with Blake during a corner kick, which the goalkeeper had jumped to save. In the 83rd minute, a Carlos Vela corner kick was headed in by centerback Jesús David Murillo to give LAFC a 2–1 lead. The Union equalized two minutes later with a header from centerback Jack Elliott off a Kai Wagner free kick that was sent into the penalty area. During the celebrations, several Union players were struck by cups of beer thrown from the stands. The hosts attempted to retake the lead with a set piece during stoppage time, but a header by defender Sebastien Ibeagha was saved by Blake shortly before the end of regulation time.
The match entered extra time and LAFC had a chance to score after a loose ball that was misplayed by Blake but out of range for Denis Bouanga. Julián Carranza had a chance to score for the Union shortly before extra time's half-time, but was unable to head the cross from Kai Wagner into the goal. In the 110th minute, a long overhead ball from Mbaizo was misplayed by Murillo, whose backpass to his own goal was collected by Union substitute Cory Burke, who collided with Crépeau as he ran from the penalty area. Crépeau broke his right leg during the challenge and left the stadium in an ambulance, while Burke was substituted a few minutes later. Elfath initially showed a yellow card to Crépeau but sent him off in the 116th minute—while leaving the pitch for his injury—after consulting with the video assistant referee. LAFC played the rest of the match with 10 players and substituted Kwadwo Opoku for back-up goalkeeper John McCarthy, a former Union player and Philadelphia-area native who had only played once in the 2022 regular season.
Elfath awarded nine minutes of stoppage time due to the pauses in play to evaluate and treat Crépeau and Burke, as well as other interruptions. The Union pressed for a third goal and found one in the 124th minute through a corner kick by Wagner that was cleared and returned to the penalty area several times. Wagner's cross was directed towards goal by Carranza and saved from close range by McCarthy, but the rebound was tapped in from 3 yards (2.7 m) by Elliott for his second goal of the final. Elliott and several celebrating players were showered with beer cans and cups thrown by the stands once again. LAFC found an equalizer in the 128th minute through a Diego Palacios cross that was headed in by Gareth Bale, who had entered during extra time as a substitute and out-jumped Elliott for the ball. It was the latest goal scored in MLS Cup Playoffs history, replacing Elliott's scored four minutes earlier, and tied the match at 3–3 through the end of extra time.
The 2022 final was the sixth MLS Cup to be decided by a penalty shootout, which had also been used in the previous year. LAFC's first penalty was taken by Cristian Tello and saved by Blake, but a slip during Gazdag's run resulted in a miss that kept the shootout scoreless. Bouanga scored his second-round penalty, while Martínez's attempt was saved by McCarthy after reading his stutter step. A successful conversion by Ryan Hollingshead, who sent Blake the wrong way, was followed by a McCarthy save on Kai Wagner to set up a decider in the fourth round. Ilie Sánchez's shot towards the bottom right corner went under Blake during his attempt at a diving save, ending the shootout at 3–0 for LAFC.
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zag says: 07 Nov 2022 08:53
What a game! Bale just does it every time