ALAJUELA – Denis Bouanga scored a second half hat trick to power Los Angeles FC to a 3-0 win versus Alajuelense of Costa Rica in the first leg of the 2023 Scotiabank Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 on Thursday night at the Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Alajuela, Costa Rica.
A vibrant atmosphere greeted the two teams at the starting whistle, and it was the visitors from California nearly finding the game’s first goal in the 7’ when Kwadwo Opoku had a shot saved by Alajuelense GK Leonel Moreira.
Ten minutes later Moreira had to move quickly to his left to deny a curling effort from Jose Cifuentes, yet the chance that somehow did not go in was when Bouanga hit the post from just a few meters out on the half-hour mark.
Alajuelense were also showing a spark going forward, with the likes of Josimar Alcocer and Aaron Suarez registering shots on LAFC GK John McCarthy’s goal.
Bouanga would make amends for his miss in the first half by connecting on a deep cross in the 47’ from Ryan Hollingshead, turning the ball into net for a 1-0 LAFC lead.
Alajuelense sought a response and a stinging effort from Alcocer in the 53’ that required a fingertip save from McCarthy served as a warning. LAFC then responded in the 63’ on a sweet left-footed stroke from Carlos Vela that Moreira parried away to safety.
LAFC kept looking for the insurance goal and it arrived in the 69’ with the Bouanga-Hollingshead connection paying off again on another finish from the forward off a cross from the defender for a 2-0 lead.
With the second goal, LAFC had all the momentum and came within a whisker of tacking on a third through Stipe Biuk, whose shot in the 82’ forced Moreira into a reaction save.
Instead, it was Bouanga polishing off the commanding victory by taking a short pass from Ilie Sanchez and firing a right-footed rocket into net in the 89’ to complete the 3-0 scoreline for LAFC.
