Los Angeles FC defeated Philadelphia Union on penalties to win the 2022 Major League Soccer Trophy in thrilling fashion. But this LAFC was trailing in the dying minutes of the game until Welsh football star Gareth Bale showed off his class to level the score 3-3 and push the finals into a penalty shootout.
LAFC and Philadelphia Union were level at 2-2 after 90 minutes. In extra time, LAFC was reduced to 10 men after goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau was sent off with four minutes to go. Philadelphia then netted an almost certain 124th-minute winner. But a delay caused by injury to Crepeau, allowed time for Gareth Bale to score in the 128th minute.
Then in the penalty shootout where Philly struggled as LAFC finished 3-0, where Ilie Sanchez, raised at scored the winning penalty. Reacting to his performance, Bale expressed that he has developed a ‘knack’ for scoring in the finals. "It's always nice to score in finals, and I seem to have a knack for doing that," said Bale. "It's big. It's important for the club. It's important for the fans."
The Welshman then talked about how this victory was crucial for the city of Los Angeles as they have been behind the team throughout the season. He said, "You can see how happy everybody is now, the fans, the city. It's important for this club to go to the next level, and I think by winning this trophy, it shows that we are. It's a club really on the rise doing the right things and it's an important trophy for us, especially the first one, first major trophy, and hopefully, there's more to come in the future."
