LOS ANGELES — Losing to Austin FC twice in the regular season off headed corner kicks, of course the final moment of Wednesday’s opening match for the MLS Cup first-round series against the Los Angeles Football Club at BMO Stadium came down to that.

After 95 minutes of rough-and-tumble soccer, Austin’s last-ditch effort to tie the match and send it to penalties was thwarted by LAFC, which won 2-1 to claim the first of two victories required to advance to the next round.

The game-winner by Nathan Ordaz in the 79th minute gave LAFC another late lead, and Steve Cherundolo’s group held on to jump ahead in a best-of-three series that heads to Austin for Game 2 on Sunday.

Ordaz’s winner came off the slightest touch from his right foot. It was set up with a quality through ball by Mark Delgado

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