It was a scene that felt both familiar and long overdue for LAFC.

Since entering Major League Soccer seven years ago, the team has raised an MLS Cup and two Supporters’ Shields before its fans at BMO Stadium. Only the Columbus Crew has won more trophies during that span.

Yet when a massive crimson victory platform was wheeled onto the stadium floor Wednesday night, minutes after LAFC beat Sporting Kansas City 3-1 in extra time to win its first U.S. Open Cup championship, the mood was more relief than joy.

Even the fireworks felt compulsory rather than celebratory.

Wednesday’s game was the team’s fifth final in the past two seasons; according to MLS, only three other teams in league history have played for hardware that often in so short a span.

LAFC is the only one of those team to have lost four in a row. It couldn’t afford another loss.

“It means a lot to win tonight,” said goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who was embraced by a group at teammates at the final whistle.

“This trophy,” he added “is really important.”

“Tonight was a bit special” agreed Olivier Giroud, who won a World Cup alongside Lloris for France and now has won a U.S. Open with him at LAFC.

Special because it proved, in case anyone had forgotten, that LAFC can win a final. In fact, the team is just the fourth club in MLS history to win a Supporters’ Shield, MLS Cup and U.S. Open Cup in a three-year span — and the first to do so since the Seattle Sounders in 2014-16.

So even with four finals loses in a row coming into Wednesday, coach Steve Cherundolo said the team had no demons to exorcise, a view he repeated after joining his players in parading their latest trophy around the field.

“I don’t know why you don’t believe me,” he said. “You have a winner and a loser in every final. And before every final, it’s kind of like a coin toss.

“We’re happy, obviously, to win. And I think we were due.”

The win didn’t come easily, however.

After a cautious, physical and scoreless first half, Giroud’s first goal since joining LAFC this summer gave the team a 1-0 lead in the 53rd minute. But Erik Thommy, whose turnover at midfield led to Giroud’s score, matched that with a goal of his own seven minutes later.

That sent the game to extra time, where the most star-studded team in MLS was rescued by goals from substitutes Omar Campos and Kei Kamara.

Campos’ score 12 minutes into the first extra period was also his first with the team and came after the Mexican defender ran onto a Cristian Olivera pass as he entered the penalty area. He then dribbled across the top of the box to create space before drilling a right-footed shot inside the far post.

Kamara, who came off the bench at the start of extra time, then put the game away with a header four minutes into the second extra-time period.

“I am ecstatic,” Cherundolo said “for the players.”

“I thought it would be more relief,” he added when asked about his emotions. “But it really is just joy.”

Probably a little bit of fatigue as well since the game was LAFC’s 94th game in all competition since the start of last season. No MLS team has ever come close to that.

And that schedule and LAFC’s recent results in finals are likely related. Because if playing in so many competitions (MLS, CONCACAF Champions League, Campeones Cup, Leagues Cup, U.S. Open Cup) during the past two years has increased the team’s chances of playing for titles, it’s also forced it to play a game every five days during the last two seasons.

Now, with all those other tournaments out the way, LAFC (14-8-7 in MLS play) has nothing left to focus on but its final five regular-season games and the start of the MLS playoffs.

“We know we can improve,” Giroud said of a grind that resumes Saturday in Cincinnati. “This Cup will bring us confidence for the rest of the season because we don’t want to stop there. We have a strong end of the season, qualify for the playoffs and go as far as we can in the playoffs.

“We are hungry. We know our potential. Our qualities.”

For Sporting Kansas City, meanwhile, the fact it was playing for hardware at the end of what will likely be its worst season since 1999 — when it played in a different state under a different name — is part of the magic of the U.S. Open Cup.

SKC (8-16-7) is one of just two teams that have already been eliminated from playoff contention with three weeks to play. Yet Wednesday it was playing for a fifth U.S. Open Cup title, which would have made it the most successful MLS team in tournament history. But after playing LAFC even for more than 100 minutes, its players would up parading across the makeshift crimson stage to collect consolation medals while LAFC carried off the Cup.

“Details count in soccer,” Thommy said. “It’s the result we have.”

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Police in Kansas City, Missouri, are asking for the public’s help to locate a man who went missing Wednesday morning.

Timothy Beckman, 63, was last seen about 8 a.m. near 76th and Prospect Avenue, police said.

Beckman was wearing a black t-shirt. He needs immediate medical treatment.

Anyone who sees him is asked to call 911.

—

The second round of the Cup playoffs begin. Two drivers switch rides beginning this weekend. And NASCAR is back at the track that provided the closest finish in series history earlier this year.

Much is happening at the 1.5-mile Kansas Speedway heading into Sunday’s race (3 p.m. ET on USA Network).

Here is a look at the good news and bad news for Cup teams going to Kansas.

23XI Racing — Good news: Bubba Wallace’s third-place finish at Bristol marked his sixth top-five finish of the season and 11th top 10 of the year. Both are career highs. … 23XI Racing has won three of the last five races at Kansas, getting a victory each from Kurt Busch, Tyler Reddick and Wallace. … Reddick has scored the most points among all drivers at races on 1.5-mile speedways this season. He has 154 points. Bad news: Reddick has scored 11 stage points in the playoffs. That ranks worst among the remaining 12 playoff drivers. … Reddick has scored 69 points in the playoffs. That also ranks worst among the remaining 12 playoff drivers.

Front Row Motorsports — Good news: Michael McDowell has finished 11th or better in each of the last two races this season. … McDowell has started in the top 10 in the last two races at Kansas. Bad news: Todd Gilliland has not started better than 25th in five career Cup starts at Kansas.

Hendrick Motorsports — Good news: Bristol winner Kyle Larson has a series-best eight finishes in the top three this season. … Larson won at Kansas in the most recent Cup race there. He beat Chris Buescher by .001 seconds in the closest finish in series history. … Larson is the only repeat winner in the last eight Cup races at Kansas. … Alex Bowman scored the most points in the first round of the playoffs. He had 120, including a series-best 41 stage points. … Chase Elliott finished third t Kansas in May. Bad news: William Byron has two top-10 finishes in the last eight races.

Joe Gibbs Racing — Good news: Denny Hamlin’s four Cup wins at Kansas are the most all-time. … Hamlin’s pit crew had the fastest four-tire pit stop at Bristol at 9.3 seconds, according to Racing Insights. … Christopher Bell has won the pole for the last two races at Kansas and three of the last five races there. Bad news: Hamlin has been the leader with 10 laps to go in the last two Kansas races but has not won either. He finished second in September 2023 and fifth in May. … Martin Truex Jr. has finished 20th or worse in the last eight races. … Ty Gibbs has finished no better than 15th in the last four races.

Martin Truex Jr., Brad Keselowski, Ty Gibbs and Harrison Burton were eliminated at Bristol.

JTG Daugherty Racing — Good news: Ricky Stenhouse Jr. has finished 14th or better in six of the last 13 races. Bad news: Stenhouse has failed to finish five of the last 11 races due to an accident.

Kaulig Racing — Good news: Ty Dillon is in the No. 16 car this weekend. It is his seventh start of the year and his 245th career Cup start. … Daniel Hemric has three top 20s in the last five races. Bad news: Hemric has started 30th or worse in 15 of 29 races this season.

Legacy Motor Club — Good news: Erik Jones finished third at Kansas last September. He was the only non-playoff driver to finish in the top nine in that race. … Jimmie Johnson is back in the No. 84 this weekend. This will be his seventh start of the year. Bad news: John Hunter Nemechek has not started better than 10th in a race this season.

Richard Childress Racing — Good news: Kyle Busch has two Cup wins at Kansas, along with four Xfinity wins and three Truck wins there. Bad news: Busch has finished 25th or worse in each of the past two races. He has finished 25th or worse 12 times this year. … Busch’s career-long winless streak has reached 50 races. … Austin Dillon has had six consecutive finishes of 15th or worse since his Richmond victory.

Rick Ware Racing — Good news: Corey LaJoie makes his debut with the team this weekend. … He will have Kaz Grala as a teammate this weekend. Bad news: The organization has not had a car qualify in the top 25 in eight of the last nine races.

NASCAR’s Elton Sawyer told SiriusXM NASCAR Radio: “We were disappointed as a company for our fans.”

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RFK Racing — Good news: Brad Keselowski has finished second in two of the last three races on a 1.5-mile speedway. Bad news: The organization’s last win at Kansas was in October 2012 by Matt Kenseth. … Keselowski has no top 10s in the last four races. … RFK Racing drivers were passed for the win in the last two races on 1.5-mile tracks. … Chris Buescher was finished 15th or worse in four of the last five races at Kansas. The exception was in May when he placed second, losing by .001 seconds to Kyle Larson in the closet finish in series history.

Spire Motorsports — Good news: Justin Haley makes his debut with the team this weekend. … Two of the team’s cars qualified in the top 10 at Bristol, marking the first time the organization had accomplished that feat. Carson Hocevar started seventh. Corey LaJoie, in his final race for the team, started ninth. … The team has had at least one car finish in the top 20 in the last 15 races. Bad news: Zane Smith has six pit road speeding penalties this season.

Stewart-Haas Racing — Good news: Ryan Preece has had three top 20s in a row, which is tied for his longest streak of the season. … Chase Briscoe has three top 10s in the last four races. … Briscoe overcame a 21-point deficit to the cutline after Atlanta, the opening race in the first round, to advance. That’s tied for the largest margin overcome to make it to the second round without a win. … Josh Berry has started in the top 10 in seven of the last 13 races. … Noah Gragson has scored back-to-back top-15 finishes. Bad news: Berry has finished 20th or worse in 10 of the last 11 races.

A look at the winners and losers from the weekend at Bristol.

Team Penske — Good news: Joey Logano has won three playoff races at Kansas, the most among all drivers. … Austin Cindric has had two of his five top 10s this season in the playoffs. Bad news: Austin Cindric and Logano are tied with Daniel Suarez with 13 finishes of 21st or worse. That the is most among any of the remaining playoff drivers. … Ryan Blaney has failed to finish three of the last five races. … Blaney has one top-10 finish in the last seven Kansas races.

Trackhouse Racing — Good news: Ross Chastain has three top 10s in the last four races. Bad news: Daniel Suarez has two top 10s in 15 Cup starts at Kansas.

Wood Brothers Racing — Good news: Harrison Burton has four top-25 finishes in the last six races . Bad news: Burton was eliminated from the playoffs after Bristol. … He has finished 30th or worse in four of his five Cup starts at Kansas.