At the Whistle: LAFC 4, RSL 0

At the Whistle is The Striker's initial post-match assessment, delivered exclusively to Striker subscribers (as the title suggests) at the match's final whistle. Expect a more in-depth article on Saturday night's match to come Sunday morning, including quotes from the post-match press conference. 

The lead

On a night that began with the two teams coming together to celebrate Chicho Arango receiving his MLS cup championship ring, by night's end only one team could go through to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals.

LAFC jumped out on the front foot, continuing their momentum from a historic 7-1 win over FC Juárez. Despite creating multiple early chances, the final touch to hit the back of the net was missing. Mateusz Bogusz and Nathan Ordaz were noticeably impactful before RSL found their feet to even out the first half. The Black and Gold managed more first-half shots, but Salt Lake put more of their efforts on target. Still, an entertaining first half ended scoreless.

Dénis Bouanga quickly reconciled that issue in the second half, scoring a brace before coming off in the 75th minute. From that point on, LAFC were in complete control with Ordaz and Krastev making the final score 4-0. LAFC will move on to the Leagues Cup quarterfinals where they will host Liga MX side Monterrey.

Three things that caught our eye

Most of the match was played in a tight space in midfield with each team looking to break lines, sending their attackers behind the opponent's back line. Despite using the entire length of the pitch, stretching the field, both defensive lines pushed toward the halfway line, keeping all twenty outfield players within 25 yards of each other for most of the match. Early on LAFC was able to break the RSL lines quite easily, though the final touch wouldn't come. As the away side settled in they found counterattacking threat while limiting LAFC to mostly corners. Dénis Bouanga finally broke the trend early in the second half, burying two goals within five minutes.