LAFC vs Philadelphia Union live score, updates, highlights and lineups from MLS Cup 2022

By | November 5, 2022
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The two best teams in Major League Soccer will go head-to-head for the title when the best in the West LAFC host Eastern Conference champions Philadelphia Union in the MLS Cup 2022 on Saturday.

The two teams finished the regular season atop their respective conferences, earning the same number of points. But LAFC claimed the first points tiebreaker (total wins), giving them the right to host the final. It’s the first time since 2003 that the first-place team in each conference are facing off for the trophy.

Both clubs are in their first MLS Cup final, and both are relatively recent expansion teams, with LAFC launching in 2018 and the Union playing their first season in 2010.

LAFC will look to league superstar Carlos Vela and 18-goal scorer Cristian Arango to be difference makers, while Philadelphia will be relying on Goalkeeper of the Year Andre Blake and Defender of the Year Jakob Glesnes to help them hold strong in front of those attacking threats.

Sporting News is following the MLS Cup final live and providing live score updates, commentary.

MORE: Every result from the MLS Cup 2022 playoffs: How LAFC, Philly reached the final

LAFC vs Philadelphia Union live score

  1H 2H Final
LAFC 1 0 —
Philadelphia 0 1 —

Goals:
LAFC — Kellyn Acosta — 28th min.
PHI — Daniel Gazdag (Jose Martinez) — 56th min.

LAFC lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 16-Crepeau (GK) — 12-Palacios, 25-Ibeagha, 3-Murillo, 24-Hollingshead — 23-Acosta, 6-Sanchez, 20-Cifuentes — 99-Bouanga, 9-Arango, 10-Vela.

Philadelphia Union lineup (4-3-1-2, left to right): 18-Blake (GK) — 27-Wagner, 3-Elliott, 50-Glesnes, 15-Mbazio — 31-Flach, 8-Martinez, 16-McGlynn — 6-Gazdag — 7-Uhre, 9-Carranza.

LAFC vs Philadelphia Union live updates, highlights from MLS Cup

64th min.: YELLOW CARD to LAFC’s Jose Cifuentes, who ran into Union goalkeeper Andre Blake as he challenged for a lofted corner kick. The Union players did not appreciate it and let him know about it.

56th min.: Goal Philly! A set piece for the Union goes right to Daniel Gazdag in the box, and the Union’s star has time to collect and score. That’s his 17th goal in his last 18 matches for Philly.

56th min.: Injury stoppage. Now there’s a long stop for Philly’s Olivier Mbaizo who collided with LAFC’s Jose Cifuentes. The Union right-back goes through the concussion protocol on the sideline.

54th min.: LAFC players want a second yellow shown to Philly’s Jack Elliott, who was already sitting on a yellow, for contact to the head of LAFC forward Chicho Arango. It leaves the Colombian down for a while.

51st min.: Chance Union! Long ball to Union forward Mikael Uhre who made a run in behind and he gets to the ball first, but the recovering defenders swarm him and the chance is lost. 

46th min.: Second half is underway. Same 22 players out there.

Halftime: LAFC 1, Philadelphia Union 0

Halftime: It wasn’t the greatest half of soccer and we really didn’t see many effective build-ups in open play, which is also a testament to how strong and evenly matched these two teams are.

A fortuitous deflection gave LAFC the lead, but the Union are very much in this game and they gave LAFC some moments to think about. But the Union need their forward players to come through. Daniel Gazdag has been shut down by LAFC’s midfield, and Mikael Uhre and Julian Carranza have not been sharp with their handful of looks.

43rd min.: Chances at both ends! First it was Mikael Uhre with a chance in the box that was snuffed out in the box by Sebastien Ibeagha at the last moment.

Then the transition going the other way ends with LAFC’s Chicho Arango sending a shot that just misses the target.

39th min.: What a chance for LAFC! Carlos Vela earns a set-piece and on the rebound he delivers a fantastic ball into the box to left-back Diego Palacios. Union ‘keeper Andre Blake makes the save.

Here was Justin Bieber’s reaction to that set piece chance.

37th min.: Chance Union! The cut-back pass gets to Julian Carranza just inside the top of the box, but the Philly forward skies it. That was a poor effort.

32nd min.: The referee graces LAFC captain Carlos Vela who was late on a challenge on Kai Wagner. That probably should’ve been a yellow. Instead, he gets a talking to.

28th min.: Goal LAFC! Everyone expects Carlos Vela to take a free kick and instead it’s Kellyn Acosta to take it and his shot deflects off Jack McGlynn’s head and past goalkeeper Andre Blake.

25th min.: As the Union start spending more time in LAFC’s half, one of their owners is probably getting into it with his NBA team owner.

20th min.: Union half-chance. LAFC ‘keeper Maxime Crepeau comes out flailing on a cross and he’s lucky it doesn’t cost his team. The ball ends up with Union right-back Olivier Mbaizo, who takes the long distance shot that’s well off the mark.

14th min.: YELLOW CARD to Union center-back Jack Elliott for scything down LAFC right-back Ryan Hollingshead along the sideline. Nothing comes of the Carlos Vela set piece.

11th min.: Neither team has the upper hand 10 minutes in. LAFC are not happy a corner kick wasn’t called which replays showed was clear.

The referee is MLS Referee of the Year Ismael Elfath, who will be a referee in Qatar.

8th min.: The match has settled down now. And so have Justin and Hailey Bieber.

1st min.: We’re off in LA. And LAFC immediately starting on the front foot.

1 min from kickoff: The Dragonball tifo from LAFC’s supporters:

5 mins from kickoff: Meanwhile. Union supporters back at Subaru Park are getting ready to watch the final in their home stadium.

10 mins from kickoff: The teams are out on the field.

15 mins from kickoff: Carlos Vela speaking to Fox pregame.

20 mins from kickoff: LAFC owner Magic Johnson is at the Banc and he’s in his club’s jersey.

30 mins from kickoff: The LAFC supporters welcome their own as they take the field for warmups:

45 mins from kickoff: Lineups are out. No Bedoya (Philadelphia), Bale (LAFC), or Chiellini (LAFC) to start:

60 mins from kickoff: Here’s the disparity in the money spent on each of the two squads, according to data supplied by the MLS Players Association. LAFC have the sixth-most expensive payroll. Philadelphia the 27th of 28.

60 mins from kickoff: Not even Justin Bieber would miss out on the MLS Cup:

60 mins from kickoff: The flood of LAFC supporters is making its way toward Banc of California Stadium. It’s a sample of what you can expect at the stadium.

LAFC vs. Philadelphia Union lineups

At 38 years old, former Italy international Giorgio Chiellini will start on the bench with Sebastien Ibeagha replacing him in central defense. Chiellini, who came off at halftime of the Western Conference final, will have a seat next to the other summer star signing Gareth Bale who has not been a starter for LAFC.

LAFC starting lineup (4-3-3, left to right): 16-Crepeau (GK) — 12-Palacios, 25-Ibeagha, 3-Murillo, 24-Hollingshead — 23-Acosta, 6-Sanchez, 20-Cifuentes — 99-Bouanga, 9-Arango, 10-Vela.

Philadelphia Union captain Alejandro Bedoya will start on the bench after the hip injury forced him off at halftime of the Eastern Conference final. His replacement in that game, Jack McGlynn, is his replacement.

Philadelphia Union starting lineup (4-3-1-2, left to right): 18-Blake (GK) — 27-Wagner, 3-Elliott, 50-Glesnes, 15-Mbazio — 31-Flach, 8-Martinez, 16-McGlynn — 6-Gazdag — 7-Uhre, 9-Carranza.

MORE: A breakdown of the projected USMNT roster for the 2022 World Cup

MLS Cup final live stream, TV channel

The MLS Cup final will be played at 1 p.m. local time at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles.

  USA Canada
Date Saturday, November 5
Time 4 p.m. ET
TV channel
(English)		 FOX TSN 4
TV channel
(Spanish)		 TUDN, Univision —
Streaming fuboTV, Fox Sports app, TUDN app TSN Go, TSN Direct

USA: Saturday’s MLS Cup final between LAFC and Philadelphia Union from Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles will be broadcast in English in the United States on FOX’s network channel. A Spanish-language broadcast can be found on both TUDN and Univision.

All three channels are available to stream via a fuboTV subscription, with a free trial available for new users.

Canada: The 2022 MLS Cup final will be broadcast on TSN 4 in Canada, which can be streamed on TSN GO and TSN Direct.

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