Cristian Arango’s hat trick leads LAFC past Pepi-less FC Dallas
Cristian Arango’s hat trick, which included two goals four minutes apart late in the second half, led LAFC over a Ricardo Pepi-less FC Dallas team 3-2 on Wednesday night.
Pepi did not play after injuring a foot last week in the U.S. national team’s win over Costa Rica.
Arango tied it at 1 in the 33rd minute on a penalty kick that goalkeeper Phelipe Megiolaro got a hand on but the ball rolled over the line. Arango had a sliding finish of Daniel Musovski’s pass to tie it at 2 in the 75th, and then gave LAFC its first lead four minutes later.
Arango has 11 goals in 13 games with LAFC (11-12-7) this season, including two on Saturday.
Dallas (6-14-10) has been eliminated from playoff contention.
Ryan Hollingshead opened the scoring in the 10th by slotting it inside the far post, and Franco Jara gave Dallas a 2-1 lead just before halftime.
Cristian Arango continues to find the back of the net for LAFC, scoring two goals in a 3-1 win over the San Jose Earthquakes that kept his team’s playoff hopes alive.
