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LAFC Fans Pay Tribute to Kobe, Gianna Bryant With Tifo

The image was displayed during the club's home leg of the Concacaf Champions League.

Ben Pickman

LAFC Fans Pay Tribute to Kobe, Gianna Bryant With Tifo
LAFC Fans Pay Tribute to Kobe, Gianna Bryant With Tifo /

LAFC fans paid tribute to Kobe and Gianna Bryant on Thursday by unveiling a tifo with both of their faces on it.

The image was displayed during the club's home leg, and second leg overall, against Club Léon in the last-16 of the Concacaf Champions League.

Since Kobe, Gianna and seven others died in a tragic helicopter crash on Jan. 26, tributes have come in all different forms from those within the sports world.

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Among other recent gestures include a special one-race-only No. 24 Chevrolet car featuring a purple-and-gold paint scheme that is running this Sunday in the Auto Club 400 in Southern California.

On Monday, Staples Center hosted a public memorial for the Bryants. Michael Jordan, Shaquille O'Neal, Sabrina Ionescu and Diana Taurasi were just some of the people who spoke about what both Kobe and Gianna meant to them.

After the pregame display LAFC put on an inspired showing, battling back from a 2-0 first-leg deficit to beat its Liga MX opposition 3-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate to advance to the quarterfinals. 

Carlos Vela scored in the 27th and 77th minutes, and Diego Rossi scored the decisive goal in the 79th to send LAFC into a showdown vs. another Mexican opponent, Cruz Azul.

LAFC was one of four MLS teams to reach the quarterfinals, joining NYCFC, Atlanta United and the Montreal Impact. The reigning MLS Cup champion Seattle Sounders weren't as fortunate, bowing out on penalty kicks to Honduran side Olimpia despite heading into the second leg with an away-goal advantage following a 2-2 draw in the road leg. Seattle led the first leg 2-0 before ultimately capitulating and seeing its CCL dream end early.

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Ben Pickman
BEN PICKMAN

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