VANCOUVER, Canada — Defender Mathias Laborda scored a first-half goal before delivering the winner in a penalty-kick shootout, and the Vancouver Whitecaps beat LAFC 6-5 in a Western Conference semifinal Saturday night before a club-record crowd of 53,957 at BC Place.

It was the final match for LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, who led the team to the MLS Cup final twice in his first three seasons, winning the championship in 2022, and fell just short of the title game this year. He said in April that this season would be his last.

The second-seeded Whitecaps advanced to their first Western Conference final after the clubs played to a 2-2 draw through regulation and 30 minutes of overtime.

Son Heung-min, who scored twice in the second half to pull LAFC even, banged his shot off the post to open the penalty-kick shootout, while Sebastian Berhalter scored on the Whitecaps’ first attempt. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga and Vancouver’s Jayden Nelson traded goals before Marco Delgado sent his shot over the goal for LAFC. Ryan Gauld scored to give the Whitecaps a 3-1 lead, but LAFC evened the score before Laborda found the net.

Vancouver advances to the conference final for the first time since joining the league in 2011. The Whitecaps await the winner of Monday’s match between expansion side San Diego FC, the No. 1 seed, and fourth-seeded Minnesota United.

Vancouver took a 1-0 lead in the 39th minute when goalkeeper Yohei Takaoka kicked the ball three-quarters the length of the field to a streaking Emmanuel Sabbi, who finished for his first postseason goal in his third appearance.

The Whitecaps took a two-goal lead into halftime after Laborda scored unassisted in the first minute of stoppage time. It was Laborda’s first postseason goal in seven appearances over the last three seasons.

LAFC cut it to 2-1 early in the second half on an unassisted goal by Son in the 60th minute. It was Son’s first postseason goal in his third appearance after scoring nine goals in 10 appearances during the regular season.

Son delivered a second goal, scoring unassisted off a free kick in the fifth minute of stoppage time to tie it.

Takaoka totaled six saves for the Whitecaps. He has given up 12 goals over nine postseason starts in the last three seasons.

Hugo Lloris saved four shots for No. 3 seed LAFC in his seventh playoff start over the last two seasons.

The Whitecaps lost in their two previous trips to the semifinals in 2015 and 2017.