Los Angeles FC forward Diego Rossi (9) kicks the ball for a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Diego Rossi (9) receives a high five from teammate defender Danilo Silva (6) after Rossi scores a goal during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
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Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) looks for an opening against San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Valeri Qazaishvili (11) during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Lee Nguyen (24) brings the ball down the pitch against San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Valeri Qazaishvili (11) during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Danilo Silva (6) fights for the ball against San Jose Earthquakes defenders during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Latif Blessing (7) battles with San Jose Earthquakes defender Marcos Lopez (27) during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Diego Rossi (9) moves the ball past a San Jose Earthquakes defender during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Lee Nguyen (24) passes the ball to forward Carlos Vela (not pictured )during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) maneuvers the ball against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Adama Diomande (99) reacts after scoring a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Adama Diomande (99) is hugged by teammate Carlos Vela (10) after Diomande scores a goal during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Pablo Sisniega (23) makes a save against the San Jose Earthquakes during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Jordan Harvey (2) headers the ball against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) scores a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Jordan Harvey (2) headers the ball against San Jose Earthquakes forward Cristian Espinoza (10) during the first half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) is mobbed by his teammates while San Jose Earthquakes defender Marcos Lopez (27) lays on the floor after Vela scores a goal during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) is mobbed by his teammates while San Jose Earthquakes defender Marcos Lopez (27) lays on the floor after Vela scores a goal during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) points to the stands after scoring a goal against the San Jose Earthquakes during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Joshua Perez (18)battles for the ball against San Jose Earthquakes forward Tommy Thompson (22) during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Latif Blessing (7) fights for the ball against San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Judson Tavares (93) during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Tristan Blackmon (27) recovers the ball against San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Eric Calvillo (26) during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Diego Rossi (9) brings the ball down the pitch during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Carlos Vela (10) is held by San Jose Earthquakes midfielder Eric Calvillo (26) as the battle for the ball during the second half of a U.S Open Cup Round of 16 match at Banc of California Stadium in Los Angeles, Calif. on Thursday June 20, 2019. Los Angeles FC won against the San Jose Earthquakes 3-1. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr, Contributing Photographer)
LOS ANGELES — Tyler Miller is LAFC’s No. 1 goalkeeper. But as the U.S. Open Cup has shown, the club has a pretty good No. 2.
Pablo Sisniega, a 23-year-old from Mexico starting for Miller – who is on assignment for the U.S. national team in the CONCACAF Gold Cup – backstopped LAFC to a 3-1 victory over San Jose in an Open Cup Round of 16 match on Thursday night at Banc of California Stadium. Sisniega made eight saves, several at point-blank range, to help send his team to the quarterfinals.
“Excellent saves,” LAFC head coach Bob Bradley said. “I think everybody on the team is so excited for him.”
Carlos Vela knew Sisniega from when he played in La Liga in Spain.
“I know Pablo from Spain,” Vela said. “I know how good he is, so it’s not a surprise for me.”
Adame Diomande, Diego Rossi and Vela provided the scoring, but it was the backup goalkeeper – a week removed from shutting out Real Salt Lake in his debut in the fourth round of the tournament – who won the game for LAFC.
Sisniega denied several prime San Jose scoring opportunities, keeping LAFC in the game in the first half and salvaging the lead in the second half.
Playing his first home match for LAFC, Sisniega said the coaches warned him to expect a distinct environment.
“The atmosphere was going to be different from anything I’ve experienced,” he said.
And it was. If fans didn’t know who Sisniega was before the game, they knew afterward. After time expired, chants of “Sis-ni-ega” rained down from the 3252s and the 14,028 in attendance. He was named the player of the match in front of his father, who watched Sisniega play in person for the first time in two years.
LAFC will face Portland in a rematch of last year’s Open Cup quarterfinals at home on July 10 at 7:30 p.m. Last year, LAFC edged the Timbers 3-2 at BCC to advance to the semis, where LAFC lost to Houston in penalties.
Diomande scored the go-ahead goal in the 60th minute on Thursday, taking a pass from Rossi and displaying patience before sliding it past San Jose goalkeeper Andrew Tarbell.
Minutes later, Sisniega kept the score 2-1, robbing San Jose’s Cristian Espinoza after a miscue at the edge of the penalty box.
Vela added an insurance goal in the 84th minute, scoring his second goal in as many Open Cup games with a cut to the middle of the area and a sharp left-footed strike into the net.
The final score did not indicate how close the game was. San Jose outshot LAFC 20-17, and shots on target were even at nine apiece.
The Earthquakes struck first in the eighth minute when a pass by Jackson Yueill slid past the back line and through to Espinoza, who found Vako on an odd-man break for the opening marker.
LAFC, though, pressured for the remainder of the half. After fending off several San Jose counterattacks, it found an equalizer in the 35th minute off the foot of Rossi, who chipped in his sixth career Open Cup goal, high past the goalkeeper from the left side off a feed by Lee Nguyen.
With four regulars – Miller, defender Walker Zimmerman and midfielders Peter-Lee Vassell and Mark-Anthony Kaye – unavailable while they represent their respective countries in the Gold Cup, LAFC struggled early against the counterattack. San Jose could have had multiple goals by halftime if Sisniega had not come up with several big saves.
“The first 20-30 minutes, the game was more the way they like to play more than we like to play,” Bradley said.
But the tide soon shifted. LAFC’s style of tight-passing, offensive pressure won out. And the depth – with players such as Sisniega and Diomande getting on the scoresheet and other reserves filling in on a short-handed squad – was a reminder of the depth of the team with the best record in MLS.
“We are trying to involve everybody,” Vela said. “That’s the way to make it. We are a team. We need the whole squad to be the best team in this league. (The role players) are doing really well. They know how important (they are) for us.”
The club resumes MLS play after a 27-day break next Friday when it plays at Colorado.
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