‘I came here to win trophies’: Olivier Giroud leads LAFC to US Open Cup victory | Sports

Olivier Giroud and Hugo Lloris reached the top of football’s mountaintop by helping France win the 2018 World Cup. On Wednesday night, they said they were celebrating the same thing after helping Los Angeles Football Club take home the Lamar Hunt US Open Cup with a 3-1 extra-time win over Sporting Kansas City.

Giroud and Lloris were equally surprised to feel the same emotion, but an extra trophy can do that.

“It’s different when you have to play in a final. You just go for it. I’m really proud of the team,” said Giroud, who opened the scoring in the second half.

It is the 12th major trophy of Giroud, who turns 38 on Monday. Lloris joined LAFC this season, becoming the first World Cup winner to play for the club. Later during the MLS midseason break, Giroud joined the club on a free transfer from Milan, where he was reunited with his former international teammate.

“I came here to play finals and win trophies,” Giroud said after the match.

Omar Campos and Kei Kamara scored in extra time to give LAFC its fourth trophy since the franchise was founded in 2018. The club won Major League Soccer’s Supporters Shield as the best club in the regular season in 2019 and 2022 and defeated the Philadelphia Union on penalties to win the 2022 MLS Cup.

LAFC’s first appearance in the Open Cup championship broke a streak of four consecutive title games in various competitions without a win. It was the 109th Open Cup, America’s oldest domestic soccer competition.

“A trophy is a trophy. It means a lot to the club and we celebrated with the fans because they deserved it too,” said Lloris, who made four saves. “It gives us a boost for the end of the season.”

By reaching the finals of the Leagues Cup and US Open Cup, LAFC is on track to play 46 games this season before the MLS playoffs begin. Last season, the club played 53 games, including advances to the finals of the Concacaf Champions League and MLS Cup.

“We’re happy to win. We deserved it,” LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said. “The guys made it hard for themselves. They understood the job and got it done.”

Erik Thommy scored for Sporting KC, who have won the Open Cup final four times before, most recently in 2017. Sporting KC goalkeeper Tim Melia made three saves to keep the game at zero in the first half.

“I’m proud of the team,” said coach Peter Vermes. “The 3-1 score doesn’t reflect what happened. Maybe playing at home worked in their favor.”

Giroud broke through for LAFC in the 53rd minute, picking off Melia and beating two defenders. It was Giroud’s second goal in 10 games for LAFC, his other coming in the Leagues Cup final, which he lost to Columbus Crew.

Thommy equalised in the 60th minute with a cross from Dániel Sallói, firing the ball inside the near post.

Campos, a second-half substitute, scored from the edge of the penalty area in the 102nd minute for his first goal for LAFC. Kamara, the second-leading goalscorer in MLS history, added an insurance goal with a header in the 109th minute to clinch his second US Open Cup medal.

“It’s amazing. For me, it’s the Open Cup, we look at the big leagues, but it’s the FA Cup of our America,” Kamara said. “You get to play in these crazy games against teams that would never get the chance to play against top teams in MLS unless it’s pre-season.”

LAFC is fourth in the Western Conference entering the final stretch of the MLS regular season, with Sporting KC not set to qualify for the playoffs.

“We don’t want to stop with this trophy,” Giroud said. “We know we want to finish the season strong, qualify for the play-offs and go as far as we can.”