Los Angeles FC continued its unbeaten and unscored-upon streak to begin the season as it played host Austin FC to a scoreless draw on Saturday.
Both goalkeepers earned clean sheets while saving a combined three shots. LAFC’s Hugo Lloris (two saves) earned his fifth shutout of the campaign and extended his stretch without allowing a goal to 450 minutes while Austin’s Brad Stuver (one save) posted his second clean sheet of the year and the 40th of his MLS career.
LAFC (4-0-1, 13 points) have outscored their opponents 8-0 while earning points in their first five matches of the season and continuing the best start to a season in team history.
Austin FC (1-2-2, 5 points) heads to the year’s first international break on a three-game winless streak.
Los Angeles had the best scoring chances of the game, two of which came in the final minutes. First, Mark Delgado ripped a shot from well outside the box past Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver in the 85th minute that clanged off the crossbar and then out of harm’s way.
A minute later, LAFC’s Son Heung-Min sprinted down the pitch and into the goal mouth before Austin defender Brendan Hines-Ike literally stole the ball off his right foot as Son attempted his shot.
In the first minute of stoppage time, Los Angeles forced Stuver into his only save when Denis Bouanga ripped a shot on net.
Myrto Uzuni had Austin’s final shot on goal four minutes into second-half stoppage time, testing Lloris with a high, twisting shot four minutes which he was forced to leap to bat away. Lloris has now stopped all 16 shots he’s faced this season
LAFC was playing their third game in eight days and was worse for wear, going the entire first half without producing a shot on target while being out-possessed 58%-42% and finishing the opening 45 minutes with a 200-pass discrepancy (368-168).
The Verde didn’t have weariness as an excuse but also did not place a shot on goal in a sluggish first half.
–Field Level Media
