Timothy Tillman scored in the 86th minute as Los Angeles FC defeated the visiting Seattle Sounders 1-0 Sunday night in the last MLS match before the six-week break for the FIFA World Cup.
Goalkeeper Thomas Hasal, subbing in for the injured Hugo Lloris, made five saves in posting the clean sheet as LAFC (7-5-3, 24 points) snapped a three-game losing streak.
Andrew Thomas made two saves for the Sounders (7-3-3, 24 points), who enter the break on a two-match skid.
The winner came after Mark Delgado corralled a Sounders clearing attempt and sent a pass to Tyler Boyd on the right wing. Boyd’s cross found Tillman at the top of the 6-yard box and his half-volley snuck past a diving Thomas and inside the far post.
Seattle had a majority of the chances in the second half. Its best came in the 76th minute as Jordan Morris beat a defender on the left wing, dribbled to the end line and sent a pass to second-half substitute Danny Musovski, whose looping 10-yard shot glanced off the crossbar.
A minute later, Thomas made a diving, one-handed save at the left post on Son-Heung Min’s shot from the top of the penalty area.
Hasal made a diving, one-handed save on Morris’ shot from the right wing in the 47th minute.
LAFC outshot Seattle 12-4 in a scoreless first half, though both teams had just one attempt on target.
Thomas made an easy stop on Son’s long-range attempt in the seventh minute.
Hasal faced a much more dangerous situation in the 30th. A through ball sent Morris in alone and Hasal came charging off his goal line and got his left arm on the ball as Morris tried to chip it over him from about 15 yards out.
Son got behind the Seattle defense but his volley from the middle of the penalty area in the 38th minute went wide left of the net.
LAFC’s Denis Bouanga took a pass on the left wing, cut back just inside of the penalty area and blistered a shot over the crossbar in the 42nd minute.
About a minute later, Son put a long-distance shot just wide of the left post.
–Field Level Media
