This week, the stars aligned on the Los Angeles sports scene.

Things were no different for LAFC in their first round of the Best-of-3 series on Sunday, as they topped the Vancouver Whitecaps to launch their bid for a third consecutive appearance in the MLS Cup.

“I’m pretty happy with my performance,” said head coach Steve Cherundolo after the 2-1 victory. “I think the guys did enough to win the first game of a three-game series, and nothing more.”

Cherundolo’s side, who entered the evening on a six-match winning streak in all competitions, had the task of containing the red-hot Whitecaps fresh from a match. Wild Card win 5-0 In Portland. The back and forth was lessened when Denis Bouanga opened the scoring from the penalty spot after half an hour.

Christian Olivera doubled the advantage shortly after halftime, putting the finishing touches on a magnificent 20-pass sequence from LAFC, sending the ball to the near post to delight the home fans.

that of Vancouver Ryan Gauld scored a late consolation goal, but it proved too little, too late, and the Whitecaps had to settle for a defeat in the series opener.

“It’s definitely a work-don’t-do mentality,” LAFC defender said Aaron Longwho started the match as captain. “We have one more game, potentially two more games. But I think a lot of us weren’t happy about giving up on that goal late either.

“We want to finish this in a professional manner and finish the match 2-0, even if it doesn’t go over on aggregate. At least as a defender it overpowered me a little bit, but we’ll get back to the film, one great home win, and the next one.

While Long started the match with the armbar, he did not finish with it. Up by two goals late in the second half, Cherundolo introduced the man arguably most synonymous with LAFC – Carlos Vela – who made his first appearance since the MLS Cup 323 days ago. After spending most of this season as a free agent, Vela re-signed with LAFC in mid-September, but hasn’t had the opportunity to appear until now.

Although his impact on the pitch was limited to an appearance of less than 10 minutes, his impact could be felt in the stands as soon as he entered the field. The crowd at BMO Stadium erupted with his introduction, signifying the impact he has had with LAFC since its inception.

“It is times like this that we will fill the stadiums and enjoy professional sports,” Cherundolo said. “There’s always a personal and emotional side to it, and Carlos has been an incredible figure and an incredible player for this club. He’s also very well-liked in the dressing room, as you can see, so it’s a great moment for him.

“Carlos is a very important element for the team,” added Bouanga. “Everyone was happy to have him on the pitch, the players, the stadium, you could hear the stadium. He has a lot of qualities that we know he brings to the team…I want to play with Carlos and win with Carlos.

LAFC has to wait a week until Game 2 next Sunday in Vancouver, but with its offense clicking and reinforcements on the way, things are trending in the right direction. Given the excitement currently surrounding sports in Los Angeles, including a 5-0 victory from Western Conference rival Galaxy In their opening match, Cherundolo’s team faces a high bar. But for now, they’re content to get results down the line and take it one game at a time.

“For us, the best approach is always to try to win every game, and we always approach it half and half,” Cherundolo said.

“Yes, we would love to win a 10th inning Grand Slam. But for us, it’s not the World Series yet.