LAFC's 10-match unbeaten streak ends in blowout loss to Columbus

Christian Ramírez scored a goal in each half, Juan “Cucho” Hernández and Alexandru Matan both had a goal and an assist, and the defending-champion Columbus Crew thumped LAFC 5-1 on Saturday night with three red cards being handed out late in a testy rematch of last year's championship .

The Crew (12-3-6), who earned a 2-1 victory in Columbus to win the MLS Cup last season, earned their fifth consecutive victory and snapped a 10-match unbeaten run by LAFC (13-5-4) that had moved the club into a three-way tie with Real Salt Lake and the Galaxy for first place in the Western Conference. All three leaders lost Saturday.

Three players won't be suiting up for matches Wednesday after receiving red cards. LAFC lost defender Sergi Palencia in the 83rd minute and defender Jesús Murillo in the seventh minute of stoppage time. Columbus midfielder Marino Hinestroza was sent off when Murillo exited.

Columbus took a 1-0 lead into halftime when Ramírez used Max Arfsten's fifth assist of the season and Cucho's eighth to score in the 38th minute.

Hernández gave the Crew a two-goal lead in the 56th minute with his 12th goal of the campaign. Defender Steven Moreira picked up his third assist on the score. Diego Rossi made it 3-0 four minutes later when he scored unassisted. It was his eighth goal of the season.

Ramírez scored for a seventh time this season one minute after Palencia was hit with a red card.

Nathan Ordaz, a 20-year-old forward, scored his first career goal for LAFC. Ordaz has made three starts and 28 appearances in two seasons in the league.

Matan, who replaced Hernández in the 82nd minute, capped the scoring when he took a pass from Darlington Nagbe in the 89th minute and found the net for the first time this season.

Patrick Schulte stopped four shots for Columbus. Hugo Lloris made three saves for LAFC, which lost at home for the first time this season.

The Crew, who improved to 6-2-3 away from home, have scored 20 goals during their winning streak. They have won nine of their last 10 matches and six of their last seven on the road. The club has a plus-26 goal differential, tops in the league, and has given up a league-low 23 goals.

LAFC entered the match with the second-best goal differential at plus-19. LAFC posted a 3-0 victory over the Crew the last time they came to L.A. on May 11, 2019.

LAFC will host Real Salt Lake on Wednesday.

This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times .