Los Angeles FC claim 1st MLS Cup title with shootout win over Union

LOS ANGELES: A weary Carlos Vela reluctantly checked out of the MLS Cup final in the 97th minute, giving way to Gareth Bale in a tense 2-2 game.

Los Angeles FC’s first player and longtime captain had no idea this epic final had only begun to exhaust him and everybody else involved in the most dramatic championship game in Major League Soccer’s 27-year history.

“For the first 10, 15 minutes, it was a Halloween movie,” Vela said. “And then we finish with a Hollywood movie.”

Bale tied the score 3-3 on a dramatic header in the eighth minute of extra-time stoppage time, backup goalkeeper John McCarthy stopped two Philadelphia shots in the shootout, and LAFC beat the Union 3-0 on penalty kicks to claim their first MLS Cup championship in spectacular fashion Saturday.

The afternoon ended with an LA celebration including confetti and movie stars, capping this expansion team’s five-year journey to the pinnacle of Major League Soccer. The final step in that journey was wilder and longer than anybody could have expected, but LAFC was strong enough to finish.

“The game had a little bit of everything, for sure,” said LAFC’s Kellyn Acosta, who scored the first goal. “Goals galore. PKs. It was a roller coaster. It was crazy. It was an incredible game. It was a collective effort. We’re proud of this moment, but we really earned it, and we’re excited.”

The two late second-half goals that forced extra time were soon followed by the two very latest goals in league history — the first by Philadelphia’s Jack Elliott in the 124th minute, and the second by Bale to snatch the title from the Union’s grasp.

Bale equalized even with LAFC down to 10 men after goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau badly injured a leg while committing a red-card foul on