In Los Angeles, it’s not the leaves changing color, or a crispness in the air, or even the smell of pumpkin spice in every Starbucks and Trader Joe’s that signal the coming of fall in 2021. This year, it’s the sound of the 3252 roaring as our own Defender of the Banc, Mamadou Fall, scores a brace at the Banc to give LAFC its biggest win of 2021! It’s Episode 165, the first of the post-Diego Rossi era, and it’s Fall!

The first 17 minutes-plus gave no indication of the season change that was coming. SKC dominated long stretches of the early part of the match, but LAFC’s defense played well. In the 18th minute, LAFC earns a corner, taken by Eduard Atuesta. A perfect corner finds Mamadou Fall, the 18-year old Senegalese defender who has been a beacon of light on the rough seas of the 2021 season. Rising above the defense, Fall heads it cleanly into the back of the net to give LAFC a bit of a shock lead, 1-0. LAFC would hold serve through the first half and head to the locker room up a goal. 

In the second half, Red Card Roger reared his head once again, as Roger Espinoza is shown red for an unintentional-but-awful looking on Chicho Arango, and SKC was shook. Latif earns LAFC a free kick at the hour mark, and the pair of Atuesta and Fall were back at it! Off the set piece, Mamadou gets on the end of another perfect ball, heading it across goal for a brace and a two-goal lead for LAFC! 10 minutes later, Duke, Moose, and Chicho link up for LAFC’s third, and it looked like the lead was finally safe from our 80th minute curse. Just to be sure, Eduard Atuesta buried a Musovski-earned PK in the 85th minute to put the Black and Gold up 4, and the party was on at the Banc!

Also on this episode, Jordan Harvey gets some burn, Filly rants about the haters, and Scarf remembers Tommy Mark on the 3rd anniversary of his sudden passing. Of course, there’s This Day In LAFC History, a rundown of our boys on international duty, and a short prayer to prevent injuries during kickball. We hope you enjoy Episode 165 almost as much as our incredible victory over Sporting!