The NWSL announced it had agreed to a new deal with CBS Sports, ESPN, Prime Video and Scripps Sports for the next four years, worth a reported $60 million per year.

“These partnerships fundamentally change the game for our league and the players who take the pitch each week,” Berman said. “On behalf of the NWSL, our owners and players, I want to commend CBS Sports, ESPN, Amazon Prime Video and Scripps for investing in our league and affirmatively declaring to the marketplace that this league is exciting, valuable, and important.

“We have taken great care to ensure our games are discoverable by increasing our reach in order to expose new audiences to everything that makes our league special, without compromising the economic value of our product. This is the beginning of our future.”

Beginning next season, 118 games will be broadcast.

Each Friday night, matches will be available on Prime Video.

Saturday night, there will be a doubleheader on ION, which aired WNBA games this season.

There will also be games aired on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+, and there will also be games aired on ESPN, ESPN2 and ABC.

There will be a minimum of 21 games for CBS, 20 for ESPN/ABC, 27 for Prime Video and 50 for Scripps Sports/ION.

The key for all fans is that, according to the league, “all matches, regardless of where they appear, will have consistent and up-leveled production quality due to increased and uniform investment across all platforms.”

ION will air the NWSL draft in January.

Also next season, with the arrival of Bay FC and Utah Royals FC, the number of playoff teams will increase from six to eight.

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  Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden, center, kicks the ball against the Portland Thorns FC during the first half of an NWSL soccer match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Angel City FC won 5-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

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  Angel City FC defender Sarah Gorden chases the ball during the first half of their match against OL Reign on Sunday night at BMO Stadium. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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  Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola, left, celebrates after scoring a goal against the Portland Thorns FC during the first half Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023, at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

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  Angel City FC defender M.A. Vignola, right, pushes off on Portland Thorns FC midfielder Natalia Kuikka during the first half of an NWSL soccer match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, Oct. 15, 2023. Angel City FC won 5-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

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  Angel City FC midfielder Savannah Mccaskill kicks the ball during the first half of their NWSL match against the Orlando Pride on Monday night at BMO Stadium. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

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  Angel City FC Savannah Mccaskill, right, kicks the ball chased by North Carolina Courage Kaleigh Kurtz during the first half on an NWSL soccer match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Sunday, July 9, 2023. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)

Angel City Football Club defenders Sarah Gorden and M.A. Vignola and midfielder Savannah McCaskill earned NWSL Best XI honors for the 2023 season.

The teams were announced Monday morning.

The best of the best in the NWSL.

Your 2023 @Mastercard Best XI first and second teams! pic.twitter.com/4s1GFEhwxm

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 6, 2023

Gorden, in her first season back from an ACL injury, played every minute of every game for the Angel City and was selected to the first team. Gorden is also a finalist for the NWSL’s Defender of the Year award.

This is the second time in her career that Gorden has earned “Ironwoman” status, by playing in every minute of every game. Gorden led Angel City in successful passes (799) and blocks (11).

Vignola, in her first season, was selected to the NWSL’s second team. Vigola, who missed the majority of 2022 with a knee injury, played in 19 games this season, recording 20 tackles and 79 possessions won. Offensively, she also scored three goals with an assist in a season that saw her earn her first U.S. national team call-up.

McCaskill was also selected to the second team. The midfielder scored four goals and added three assists.

Angel City finished fifth in the NWSL, qualifying for the playoffs for the first time in the team’s short two-year history.

Superstars at every position.

The 2023 @Mastercard Best XI first and second teams are stacked.

— National Women’s Soccer League (@NWSL) November 6, 2023

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  Los Angeles FC’s Cristian Olivera, left, and Vancouver Whitecaps’ Sam Adekugbe, right, vie for the ball during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka dives to make a save against Los Angeles FC during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC’s Nathan Ordaz, left, grabs the jersey of Vancouver Whitecaps’ Andres Cubas as they vie for the ball during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, left, prepares to stop Vancouver Whitecaps’ Brian White (24) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga (99) is upended by Vancouver Whitecaps’ Ryan Gauld, bottom, who slides to take the ball away from him during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Referee Tim Ford, center right, is followed by Vancouver Whitecaps’ Ali Ahmed, center left, and Sam Adekugbe, back left, as he leaves the field after Los Angeles FC defeated the Whitecaps in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, left, stops Vancouver Whitecaps’ Brian White (24) during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps’ Pedro Vite lies on the field after Los Angeles FC defeated his team in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps head coach Vanni Sartini, center front, is restrained by a member of the team’s staff after he went on the field and tried to get to referee Tim Ford after receiving a red card during the second half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match against Los Angeles FC in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps’ Pedro Vite lies on the field after Los Angeles FC defeated his team in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, right, stops Los Angeles FC’s Mario Gonzalez (9) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps’ Brian White reacts after the bail went out of play when he blocked a pass by Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga (99) scores against Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, back left, on a penalty kick during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps’ Pedro Vite, left, and Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga (99) vie for the ball during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau dives for the ball as it goes wide of the goal and out of play after it was headed back to him by teammate Ryan Hollingshead during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga flips as he celebrates after his penalty kick goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps’ Sam Adekugbe, left, and Los Angeles FC’s Diego Palacios (12) vie for the ball during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC co-owner, comedian and actor Will Ferrell, center, greets Vancouver Whitecaps fans as he leaves the field before Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC co-owners, Shaun Neff, left, and comedian and actor Will Ferrell, right, walk off the field before the Vancouver Whitecaps and LAFC play Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka, bottom right, stops Los Angeles FC’s Mario Gonzalez (9) during the first half in Game 2 of a first-round MLS playoff soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Sunday, Nov. 5, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

VANCOUVER, British Columbia — Dénis Bouanga scored on a first-half penalty kick and Maxime Crépeau made it stand up against his former club as defending-champion Los Angeles FC finished off a first-round sweep of the Vancouver Whitecaps with a 1-0 victory on Sunday night.

Bouanga, who scored 20 goals during the regular season to win the Golden Boot and was named a finalist for the MVP award, scored on a penalty kick in the 24th minute to give LAFC (15-10-10) the lead. Bouanga took the PK after Mario González drew a foul on Whitecaps defender Tristan Blackmon.

Crépeau, a member of the Whitecaps from 2018-2021, finished with five saves to earn his second career clean sheet in the postseason — both with LAFC. Yohei Takaoka had six saves for Vancouver (12-11-12).

The Whitecaps won LAFC’s first four visits to Vancouver in all competitions, but LAFC has gone 2-0-1 since.

Bouanga and Ryan Hollingshead became the sixth pair of teammates to both score twice in the same match in LAFC’s 5-2 victory at home in the series opener. LAFC’s Carlos Vela and Adama Diomande did it in 2019. LAFC and the Los Angeles Galaxy are the only clubs to do it multiple times.

LAFC notched its seventh victory since August. The club scored at least four goals in each of the first six wins but managed just five goals in its other nine matches, going 0-5-4.

Bouanga, who had a goal waved off in second-half stoppage time, joins Atlanta United’s Thiago Almada and FC Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta as finalists for the league’s top player.

Playing for an MLS-record 50th time in a calendar year on Sunday, LAFC can close out the Vancouver Whitecaps FC in the best-of-3, opening-round series and advance to the single-elimination portion of the playoffs with a win.

Awaiting a third consecutive meeting with Vancouver, which finished the regular season seeded sixth in the West, LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo would be lying if he said he didn’t prefer to play someone else. But, he noted, “the job’s not done so we’re not tired of them.”

Preventing Vancouver from leveling the series and returning to BMO Stadium four days later for the deciding match is top of mind, said LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead, fresh off scoring a brace in the Game 1 victory.

“You know what’s crazy?” noted the 2023 MLS All-Star, who boasts the second-most regular-season goals for an MLS defender since 2010. “You want to be tired of it because it’s three games in a row, and it’s like going back up the turf, back up to Vancouver, but in the playoffs things can just change so quickly that you don’t have the ability to take a game lightly or get exhausted talking about it.

“The game is too unpredictable to let up to be like, ‘Oh, it’s Vancouver again, we know what to do.’ No, we’re doubling down. We’re watching all the film. We’re recommitting to everything we want to do. Too much is on the line to be in that mindset.”

Not lost in that has been the reality of the season after taking the Supporters’ Shield and MLS Cup. Without time to reflect while racing from one competition to the next in 2023, and little space to regroup over the long haul of the year, the past 12 months have felt like a sprint and a marathon, with the theme so far being second best at the tape.

Describing Nov. 5, 2022 to Nov. 5, 2023, “it’s hard to give it one word,” Hollingshead mused, “but the word would be ‘almost.’”

Pointing to many moments of success, Cherundolo described the period as an “overwhelmingly positive” time for the club’s business and sporting endeavors.

“I would love for everybody, here at LAFC – I can speak for those on the coaching staff, we’ll do it – to sit back and kind of review the last two years, because it has gone by too fast,” the coach said. “After this season is finished – hopefully the second week in December.”

A return trip to the MLS Cup final can’t happen, of course, without beating the Whitecaps once more.

After losing four consecutive matches in Vancouver, LAFC won and drew during their two trips to British Columbia this year. The Whitecaps lost only twice in 17 home games since April 5, when they fell to LAFC in a CONCACAF Champions League match.

Needing what Vancouver head coach Vanni Sartini described as a perfect performance to beat LAFC, the hosts will open the upper bowl at BC Place for the first time in their 10-year MLS existence, pushing capacity from fewer than 30,000 to more than 50,000.

“I’m not sure they’re in complete control of what happens if we are on our game,” Cherundolo said. “So if we’re performing to our ability at 100%, then I’m not sure that it matters what Vancouver does.”

LAFC AT VANCOUVER

When: Sunday, 4:30 p.m. PT

Where: BC Place, Vancouver, B.C., Canada

TV/Radio: Apple TV+ (MLS Season Pass), FS1, FS2/710 AM, 980 AM

Hernandez, who missed the majority of last season with an ACL injury in his right knee, joined the Galaxy for the 2020 season from Sevilla FC, on a three-year contract. An option for 2023 was picked up after his 2022 season. His contract expires at the end of the year.

In an Instagram post, the 35-year-old forward said: “Life becomes exciting when you allow yourself to change and evolve to new challenges. Thanks to everyone who was involved in my journey these 4 years. Thank you for everything.”

The Galaxy later confirmed the move.

Considered one of the greatest Mexican players, Hernandez played in just 12 games in his first MLS season and scored two goals. He bounced back in 2021 and scored 17 goals in 21 games and in 2022 scored 18 in 34 games. His 38 goals rank him seventh all-time in Galaxy history.

This season, Hernandez suffered the knee injury in a U.S. Open Cup game against Real Salt Lake on June 7. He went down on a non-contact play.

“I know with his work rate and with his passion and desire to be out there, he’s going to do the work and he’s going to put himself in position to come back and continue to play the game,” Galaxy coach Greg Vanney said days after the injury.

Hernandez’s departure gives the Galaxy two open Designated Player slots, with Douglas Costa also departing. Hernandez was the fourth-highest paid player in MLS, with a base salary of $6 million and a guaranteed compensation salary of $7,443,750.

Angel City FC was in 11th place in the 12-team NWSL standings after the first 11 games, but in the second half of the season, she led the second-year club on a turnaround that resulted in a fifth-place finish and a berth in the playoffs.

On Thursday, months after joining Angel City ahead of the 2023 season in an assistant coach role, Tweed had the interim tag officially removed and was announced as the team’s head coach at a news conference at the club’s Santa Monica offices.

“The second half (of the season), you saw the team transform,” Angel City defender and captain Ali Riley said. “Her honesty, her clarity, how she held us accountable, I think this group of players, that type of mindset works really with us. Because we want to win, we want to improve, but we also want to have really high standards in our training environment. I think the competition she brings out in us and the way she found the ability to bring out the strengths in each player.”

Angel City went on an 8-2-5 run in league and Challenge Cup competition to conclude the regular season, including an impressive 5-1 rout of the Portland Thorns in a must-win game to get into the playoffs. The run ended with a 1-0 quarterfinal loss on a late goal by OL Reign in Seattle.

Despite that, General Manager Angela Hucles Mangano still had to do her job, conducting a “thorough search process.”

With an original target date to hire of Oct. 15, Mangano said there were 52 candidates, but that Tweed stood out due to the club’s performance.

“That was a huge piece that she had an advantage,” Mangano said of the club’s performance under Tweed. “I was able to see the behind-the-scenes of how she handled the day-to-day, how she worked with staff, how she talked with players, how she got the buy-in, the respect that she earned and the tough conversations that she had to have at different moments.

“These are things that you would want to see from a head coach and hope to see, but you’re never quite sure, just sitting across from someone in an interview process. I was able to see those things and ultimately she portrayed confidence and vulnerability, all at once. The passion and the energy that she showed up with every single day, the confidence that she instilled in the players, the language changed with these players and I think it was infectious and it was powerful and her process led to the results that we had.”

Tweed joined Angel City after three seasons with NJ/NY Gotham FC. She also had an assistant job with the U.S. U-20 Women’s national team.

Fast-forward to this season, she is one of three finalists for the NWSL Coach of the Year award and now preparing for her first offseason as coach as Angel City turns its attention toward its third season.

“You never know what’s going to happen, you just have to be prepared for whatever happens,” Tweed said of the recently completed season. “Everyone asks, ‘When do you know if you’re ready to be a head coach?’ I don’t think you ever know. You’re put in a position where, it was obviously for me, we can still do something this season and my goal and intention was to always make playoffs. We knew that if it got hard, we just have to be a little better every week.

“Once you’re put in those situations, you find out a lot about yourself and who you could be and who you really are.”

The Athletic’s Meg Linehan first reported last week that the club was set to make the announcement official this week.

The move shouldn’t come as a surprise considering how the club performed under Tweed after she was promoted to coach in June after the club fired Freya Coombe.

The move made an immediate impact in both league play and Challenge Cup competition. Angel City posted an 8-1-5 record under Tweed and finished fifth in the league, qualifying for the NWSL Playoffs. In league competition, ACFC went 6-1-4 under Tweed.

Tweed was also one of three finalists for the NWSL Coach of the Year Award.

Tweed was hired as an assistant coach in January after three seasons as an assistant with NJ/NY Gotham FC. Tweed also served as an assistant with the U.S. U-20 Women’s Team at the U-20 World Cup in 2022.

The club set Thursday morning news conference at its team offices in Santa Monica.

Angel City defender M.A. Vignola said of Tweed at the end of the regular season:

“Becki has done an amazing job. … She knows how we work and how to say things to us. She knows how each player works.

“You can even tell at training that she’s very in tune with everyone individually. That helps us as a collective because it enables us to be able to talk to each other in certain ways. We push each other and get through the nitty and gritty. That’s what she does best that was missing.”

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  United States defender Emily Fox (23) controls the ball under pressure from Colombia midfielder Daniela Montoya during the first half of an international friendly soccer match Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

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  Colombia goalkeeper Natalia Giraldo, right, punches away a shot next to defender Jorelyn Carabalí (19) during the first half of an international friendly soccer match against the United States, Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

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  Colombia midfielder Leicy Santos (10) controls the ball between United States forward Sophia Smith, right, and defender Emily Sonnett, back center, during the first half of an international friendly soccer match Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

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  Colombia defender Daniela Arias, right, stops United States forward Alex Morgan from advancing during the first half of an international friendly soccer match Sunday, Oct. 29, 2023, in San Diego. (AP Photo/Alex Gallardo)

SAN DIEGO — Mia Fishel and Jaedyn Shaw both scored their first international goals and the United States defeated Colombia 3-0 on Sunday.

Lindsey Horan added a goal for the United States in the second of two exhibition matches against Colombia. The teams played to a scoreless draw on Thursday in Utah.

The United States will play just two more games this year, in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, and Frisco, Texas, in early December. Both matches are against China.

The United States was expected to name a new coach before those matches as the team prepares for the Paris Olympics next summer.

The Americans have been led for four games by Twila Kilgore, who was named interim coach following Vlatko Andonovski’s resignation after the Women’s World Cup this past summer.

The United States was eliminated in the Round of 16 on penalties after a scoreless draw with Sweden, the earliest World Cup exit ever for the Americans.

Andonovski, who led the team for four years, was recently named coach of the Kansas City Current. Kilgore, who was one of Andonovski’s assistants on the national team, was 3-0-1 as interim coach of the No. 3 ranked Americans.

Colombia, ranked No. 22 in the world, advanced to the quarterfinals at the Women’s World Cup over the summer for the first time. Las Cafeteras were finally stopped by England 2-1.

Colombia goalkeeper Natalia Giraldo had to leave the match in the first half after she was injured while making a save on Alex Morgan’s shot. Giraldo was replaced by backup Sandra Sepulveda.

The match at Snapdragon Stadium was scoreless at the half, but the United States looked more dominant than in the first game.

Fishel, a San Diego native who plays club soccer for Chelsea, scored in the 60th minute on a header off a corner kick in just her second appearance for the United States.

“It was a dream,” Fishel said. I mean every little girl just dreams of being on this team, and to be here and to be able to score for this team, with my family and friends in the stands, it’s just amazing.”

Horan scored her 30th international goal in the 62nd minute. Shaw, an 18-year-old who plays for the San Diego Wave in the National Women’s Soccer League, added a goal in the 83rd off a feed from Alyssa Thompson.

It was also Shaw’s second appearance for the United States. Afterward, she made a heart with her hands for the crowd.

“It’s hard to believe that it even happened,” Shaw said. “I just saw Alyssa get the ball and I took off. She played me the absolute best ball ever and I just did what I could to tap it in.”

Colombia, which has also qualified for the Olympics, had not played since the World Cup before the friendlies against the United States.

Linda Caicedo, the team’s 18-year-old forward who plays professionally for Real Madrid, was not available for Colombia after starting in the first match. Catalina Usme, who scored two goals during the World Cup, was also unavailable because of an injury.

The Colombians were playing the two friendlies under Angelo Marsiglia, their new coach after the post-World Cup departure of Nelson Abadía.

Colombia’s players showed their support for fellow national team player Luis Diaz by holding his No. 7 jersey during the national anthems before the match.

Diaz’s parents were kidnapped in Colombia on Saturday by gunmen in their city of Barrancas, near the Caribbean. The Liverpool winger’s mother was later rescued but his father remained missing, authorities said.

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  Vancouver Whitecaps forward Brian White, right, scores past Los Angeles FC defender Giorgio Chiellini during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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  Los Angeles FC’s Carlos Vela shoots on goal during the first half of an MLS soccer match against the Vancouver Whitecaps in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Los Angeles FC’s Denis Bouanga celebrates after his goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the first half of an MLS soccer match in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka reaches for the ball during the first half of an MLS soccer match against Los Angeles FC in Vancouver, British Columbia, Saturday, Oct. 21, 2023. (Darryl Dyck/The Canadian Press via AP)

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  Vancouver Whitecaps forward Brian White, top watches his goal past Los Angeles FC defender Giorgio Chiellini, bottom left, and goalkeeper Maxime Crépeau during the first half of an MLS playoff soccer match Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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  Los Angeles FC defender Giorgio Chiellini reacts after a goal by midfielder Ryan Hollingshead against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

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  Los Angeles FC midfielder Ryan Hollingshead, top right, is surrounded by teammates after his goal against the Vancouver Whitecaps during the second half of an MLS playoff soccer match Saturday, Oct. 28, 2023, in Los Angeles. (AP Photo/Ryan Sun)

LOS ANGELES – A tight first half gave way to a lopsided second as the Los Angeles Football Club overwhelmed the Vancouver Whitecaps to grab an advantage in the MLS Cup playoffs Best-of-3 opening round.

Two goals apiece by Denis Bouanga and Ryan Hollingshead, as well as a late capper by defender Jesus Murillo, pushed LAFC past Vancouver 5-2 as the series moves to Canada next Sunday, Nov. 5, a year to the day that the Black & Gold won its first MLS Cup.

Bouanga became LAFC’s leading postseason scorer and the first player with the club to post more than one multi-goal playoff game. His brace gave him 35 goals for the calendar year, three behind Carlos Vela’s record performance in 2019.

It also marked the 10th time this year that the MLS MVP finalist produced more than one goal, giving him eight finishes in the club’s last four contests.

Prior to the second half outburst, an unattractive opening 15 minutes produced zero shots from either side. The teams then traded blows and alternated four goals over a 26 minute stretch, making it 2-2 at the half.

Following a well-executed set play in the Vancouver box that earned LAFC a corner kick, Hollingshead nearly capitalized on a Carlos Vela delivery, pounding down a header at the far post.

A diving save by Whitecaps goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka denied the offensive-minded fullback, but Hollingshead collected the rebound and slotted in a tight-angle shot with his left foot for the lead.

Like they did last weekend in Canada on Decision Day, Vancouver leveled the match due in large part to a defensive lapse from the defending champions.

Passing the ball back and forth in their own end, LAFC seemed content to slow down play but then centerback Jesus Murillo opted to push the ball forward. Needlessly giving away a pass to no one allowed Vancouver an instant counterattack for the Whitecaps top scorer, forward Brian White, whose shot was redirected off a sliding Giorgio Chiellini past goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.

“Look, we made two errors and two mistakes and it turned into two goals,” said LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo. “It was just one of those moments where, again, we make life very difficult on ourselves and our mistakes are being punished. But what I was very happy to see was the answer from the guys and the mentality. Urgency, I think is a good word, to play forward, to be proactive, to be the aggressor and to force the issue to score more goals.”

A couple of minutes later fhe first of Vancouver’s two equalizers was wiped away thanks to Bouanga, LAFC’s third Golden Boot winner. A ball over the top by Chiellini led to a flick from the head of defender Diego Palacios, putting the ball at Bouanga’s feet. The Frenchman stormed into the box, made a touch to his right, and unleashed a shot that Takaoka had no hope of stopping.

Again Vancouver got back into the game due to a self-inflicted wound by Murillo.

The strong Colombian, who overcame a troubling ankle sprain during the season to regain a starting spot late in the year, committed a foul in a spot that gave Whitecaps playmaker Ryan Gauld a chance.

Off the free kick the Scottish Designated Player floated the ball toward the middle of LAFC’s box, where Mateusz Bogusz got outjumped by Vancouver’s Sam Adekugbe for the game-tying header.

“The performance was good except for the fact that sometimes we were too excited,” Vancouver head coach Vanni Sartini said. “Excitement is something they build on and we need to be the other way around.

“We can’t put down the guard because the only way to beat this strong team is to be perfect,” he said, noting that their defending on the set pieces could have been better.

LAFC got a good look at the Whitecaps organization on set plays on Decision Day, and leading up to Game 1, LAFC assistant coach Marc dos Santos, a former Whitecaps head coach, made adjustments, including freeing Hollingshead to attack the ball.

In the 53rd minute, the defender scored his second corner kick induced chance when the ball landed in front of him as he was ready to pounce inside the six-yard box.

Eleven minutes later, Bouanga made it 4-2 when Vela began a set piece outside the Whitecaps box that let the French forward run onto it with his favored right foot and smash a low shot that split two defenders.

“Those sorts of things are crucial in games like this and that’s exactly what happened tonight,” Hollingshead said.

“Certainly we’d love to end the series in Vancouver,” Cherundolo said. “That will be our objective. We want to play the exact same way we play here. I’m 100% positive Vancouver will play a little more aggressively and try to press us more like they did when they were down tonight. I expect that from minute one.”

Throughout a year that gave the defending MLS Cup champions six shots at competing for trophies, LAFC must repeat in the Major League Soccer postseason or walk away with nothing to show for its considerable yet ultimately disappointing efforts in 2023.

Having harped on remaining driven, improving and moving forward after winning the Supporters’ Shield and league title last season, coming up short in the CONCACAF Champions League final and Campeones Cup, along with sacrificing the U.S. Open Cup and bowing out of the Leagues Cup in the quarterfinal round, has apparently not diminished LAFC’s self-belief.

“I know our team is ready,” team captain Carlos Vela said Thursday. “Our team is really focused, really excited about winning the title. Because we had chances to win titles. We missed chances to win titles. When you have the playoffs as a last chance you have to bring everything. You have to be hungry to show we want to repeat the championship.

“We still trust we have the best team in the league.”

The rest of the way will go directly toward proving whether or not that is true.

A three-game opening round series against the sixth-seeded Vancouver Whitecaps, which in June won at BMO Stadium for the first time in eight tries, is the doorway to the knockout rounds and a return trip to the MLS Cup final.

Two of the three contests are scheduled for Los Angeles, and any match that is tied after 90 minutes will require a penalty kick shootout to determine a winner.

The Western Conference foes have already played four times this year, twice in the CONCACAF Champions League to a 6-0 aggregate triumph for LAFC, and two league contests, including a 1-1 tie in the regular-season finale in Vancouver.

The season-long encounter continues into their first postseason meeting, which could mean four consecutive games against the same team.

“I’d be lying if I said I was super excited about it, but all of us understood this competition going into the season,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “We accept the rules. There won’t be any excuses if things don’t go as planned.”

The Whitecaps are 1-5-2 all-time in the playoffs, averaging a goal per game while losing their lone postseason contest under current coach Vanni Sartini, who described LAFC as the best team in North America when they met in the continental tournament this spring.

LAFC is 4-3 all-time in the postseason after winning a trio of knockout games a year ago.

A determined finish to the regular season – taking seven of a possible nine points while MLS MVP finalist Denis Bouanga nailed down the Golden Boot by scoring six goals over that stretch to close with 20 regular-season finishes and 33 overall – has a healthy and in-form LAFC looking more like the group Sartini complimented.

For a team that continues to express that the thing that matters most is not the opponent but how they themselves prepare and play, “the hunger and passion and the want to have more is there and it’s prevalent every day in training when I speak to guys individually or as a group,” Cherundolo said.

“This group wants to win another title and you’ll see answers this weekend and the weekends to follow.”

VANCOUVER AT LAFC

What: Game 1 of MLS first-round playoff (best of three)

When: Saturday, 5 p.m.

Where: BMO Stadium

TV/Radio: Apple TV+ (free)/710 AM, 980 AM