From 2h ago 01.19 EDT Denis Bouanga leads LAFC to Club World Cup spot with dramatic comeback win over Club América Los Angeles FC will be the final entrant to the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup after winning a play-in game against Liga MX powers Club América in a raucous match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Denis Bouanga scored the winning goal off an Olivier Giroud assist in the second half of extra time. LAFC was trailing for most of the second half before Igor Jesus rose to head in a corner kick in the 89th minute.
Club América got their goal via a penalty kick from former LAFC man Brian Rodríguez earlier in the second half. Share 1h ago 01.28 EDT Watch Denis Bouanga's goal This is the moment that sent LAFC to the Club World Cup. Share 1h ago 01.27 EDT LAFC's Club World Cup schedule By winning tonight, Denis Bouanga and Co not only win $9.5m as official qualifiers for the Club World Cup – they also have a chance to add to that prize money with games against some of the best clubs in the world.
The win puts LAFC into Group D, where they’ll start off with a game against Chelsea in Atlanta on 16 June at 3pm ET / Noon PT. They’ll then face Espérance de Tunis in Nashville on 20 June at 6pm ET / 3pm PT. Group play closes with a matchup against Brazilian power Flamengo in Orlando at 9pm ET / 6pm PT on 24 June.
Share 2h ago 01.19 EDT Denis Bouanga leads LAFC to Club World Cup spot with dramatic comeback win over Club América Los Angeles FC will be the final entrant to the 2025 Fifa Club World Cup after winning a play-in game against Liga MX powers Club América in a raucous match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday night. Denis Bouanga scored the winning goal off an Olivier Giroud assist in the second half of extra time. LAFC was trailing for most of the second half before Igor Jesus rose to head in a corner kick in the 89th minute.
Club América got their goal via a penalty kick from former LAFC man Brian Rodríguez earlier in the second half. Share 2h ago 01.16 EDT Final: LAFC 2-1 Club América (AET) It’s over! LAFC is going to the Club World Cup in….just over two weeks.
Better clear your schedules, LAFC fans! Share 2h ago 01.13 EDT 120 min: Two subs to close it out for LAFC. Ryan Raposo (making his LAFC debut!)
and Yaw Yeboah come on, Timothy Tillman and David Martínez come off. Share 2h ago 01.11 EDT 119 min: What an incredible moment for Bouanga in front of the 3252. The Gabon international has been great all game, but really hit a new level in the final stages of regular time and all of extra time.
He’s ben at the center of everything good for LAFC, so it’s only appropriate that he nets the winner. Share 2h ago 01.08 EDT GOAL LAFC! It's LAFC 2-1 Club América!
Denis Bouanga, who has been the key for pretty much every scoring chance for LAFC in this game, finishes SO nicely off a layoff touch from Olivier Giroud. The effort takes a deflection past Malagón, but Bounaga won’t care! Share 2h ago 01.03 EDT 110 min: Yellow card to LAFC’s Timothy Tillman for a foul right on the edge of the LAFC penalty area.
Club América players set up for the freekick as LAFC sets up their wall… Brian Rodríguez takes it, and fires it inches past the post. Phew. Share Updated at 01.04 EDT 2h ago 01.02 EDT 109 min: Save Lloris!
Javairô Dilrosun has been lively and dangerous on the right flank since coming on as a sub, and he tests LAFC’s offside trap and forces the French World Cup winner into a quick save. Share 2h ago 01.01 EDT 108 min: For what seems like the billionth time tonight, Luis Malagón makes a big save from a tight angle off the foot of Denis Bouanga. LAFC corner coming up.
Share Updated at 01.01 EDT 2h ago 00.59 EDT 105 min: We are back underway with an LAFC sub, as Marlon comes on for Aaron Long, who was suffering from some sort of injury according to the commentators. Let’s see if América chooses to go at the fresh central defender. Share 2h ago 00.56 EDT Half-time in extra time Both teams are cagey as expected.
One gets the sense that, if this game will be won in the next 15 minutes, it’s going to be because of a weird defensive mistake. Share 2h ago 00.53 EDT 103 min: In case you’re wondering, Club América is out of subs. They have made seven – one more than the allotted six (five plus one in extra time), because one was for a concussion, which does not count against the substitution limit.
LAFC has made four subs, meaning they have two left to burn before PKs should Steve Cherundolo choose. Share 2h ago 00.48 EDT 98 min: Denis Bouanga goes to take a corner kick, but has to pause as Club América fans pelt him with various detritus and verbal abuse. First of all: Don’t do that.
Second of all: That’s probably not something he’d have ever expected to happen at his home stadium. One of many things that has made this night especially weird. Share 2h ago 00.46 EDT Reader Randy Z. checks in: If this match ends a draw and it goes to kicks, each player, while walking up to take his kick: ‘this is worth 10million dollars’ !
!!! that is significant! Technically it’ll only be that way for whoever takes the decisive kick, but point taken!
Not a responsibility I would want, personally. Share 2h ago 00.44 EDT 93 min: Two more Club América subs: Javairô Dilrosun comes on for Cristian Borja, and Diego Valdés comes on for Kevin Álvarez Share 2h ago 00.41 EDT 91 min: We are back underway. 30 more minutes for a spot in the Club World Cup (or penalties).
Let’s go. Share 2h ago 00.38 EDT OK. That was nuts. Are you ready for 30 more minutes of that?
I’M NOT. Share 2h ago 00.35 EDT Extra time beckons! It’s LAFC 1-1 Club América, and we have 30 more minutes to go.
If you’re on the East coast, get some sugar or a nice pick-me-up from somewhere – this thing is going til 1am (at least). Share Updated at 00.54 EDT 2h ago 00.33 EDT 90 + 7 min: This time it’s Timothy Tillman with an absurd effort from distance, nearly finding Malagón’s top corner but the goalkeeper made an excellent and acrobatic save while retreating to his line. Share 2h ago 00.32 EDT 96 min: Oh wow, I thought Denis Bouanga had the winner there.
The wonger finally got the better of Israel Reyes in a one-on-one, cut inside, then fired a shot that was deflected out through a crowd for a corner kick. Bouanga can’t believe it didn’t get knocked in somehow. Share 2h ago 00.29 EDT 90 + 4 min: Frankie Amaya comes off the bench for LAFC, replacing Cengiz Ünder, who himself only just came on as a sub about 20 minutes ago.
Share 2h ago 00.28 EDT 93 min: Oh by the way, there are seven minutes of added time. Share 2h ago 00.27 EDT 91 min: That goal is Igor Jesus’ first for the club. Suffice it to say the defensive midfielder is not known for goal-scoring, but he chose an excellent time to open his account.
What a moment. What a game! LAFC now pushing pretty hard for a winner.
Share 2h ago 00.26 EDT GOAL LAFC! IT'S 1-1! 89 min: Igor Jesus connects on a header off a corner kick to draw the MLS side level!
Wow! Share 2h ago 00.25 EDT 89 min: Aguirre and Zendejas subbed off for Club América. They take their sweet time leaving the field.
This isn’t Concacaf, but it feels like it! Share 2h ago 00.22 EDT 85 min: Stop me if you’ve heard this before: Malagón saves from a tight angle. LAFC fails to clean up the mess.
Ball is cleared. We go again. Share 3h ago 00.18 EDT 82 min: LAFC chance!
Another big moment comes to Olivier Giroud, but his close range, acute-angle volley at goal is blocked out for a corner by Malagón. Giroud has been key in his limited time – though his lack of finishing touch since coming to MLS continues apace. Share Updated at 00.18 EDT 3h ago 00.16 EDT A thought experiment LAFC sold Brian Rodríguez to Club América in August 2022 for a reported $6m.
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics’ inflation calculator, that’s worth about $6.5m in April 2025 dollars. Tonight, Rodríguez scored the penalty that could prevent LAFC from winning $9.5m as part of Club World Cup qualification. Does that mean that, technically, LAFC can consider themselves to have only lost $3m, if indeed they go on to lose 1-0 tonight?
I’ll hang up and listen. Share 3h ago 00.13 EDT 78 min: OK, this game has opened up big-time. LAFC has finally been forced to be a bit more adventurous, and the result is more and better chances at both ends.
The last 12 minutes are going to be a lot of fun (probably). Share 3h ago 00.12 EDT 76 min: BIG CHANCE! A long service from midfield found Denis Bouanga in the box, who knocked it back for Olivier Giroud.
The Frenchman nearly scored with his first touch, but the effort was blocked by Malagón. Share 3h ago 00.11 EDT 75 min: Olivier Giroud on for Jeremy Ebobisse. Cengiz Ünder on for Mark Delgado.
Both relatively like-for-like. Share 3h ago 00.10 EDT 74 min: Brian Rodríguez nearly puts the game away with a near-perfectly shaped effort from outside the box that bounces just a few inches wide of Hugo Lloris’ far post. What a goal that would have been.
Share 3h ago 00.08 EDT 72 min: OK, LAFC are calling on the big names now. Olivier Giroud and Cengiz Ünder are getting ready to come into the game. Share 3h ago 00.06 EDT 69 min: Save Malagón!
Once again, the only opportunities LAFC seems to get are acute on either side of Malagón, but this time Denis Bouange nearly makes it count with a powerful effort along the endline that the goalkeeper could only parry away. Share 3h ago 00.04 EDT 68 min: LAFC Substitution: Nathan Ordaz comes off, David Martínez comes on. A big spot for the 19-year-old Venezuelan.
Share 3h ago 00.01 EDT GOAL! Club América 1-0 LAFC 64 min: Brian Rodríguez, the former LAFC man who just came on as a halftime substitute, buries the spot kick to Hugo Lloris’ left and just like that, the Mexican side has one foot in the Club World Cup (and one hand on $9.5m) Share 3h ago 23.59 EDT 62 min: Penalty! The referee has given a penalty to Club América!
Mark Delgado made contact with Erick Sánchez in the box, América waited to take their corner, giving VAR time to look at it, and here we are. Honestly, it’s a foul anywhere else on the field, so makes sense it’s a pen. Share 3h ago 23.57 EDT 61 min: VAR REVIEW!
Erick Sánchez went down after his volley attempt thanks to a lunging challenge from Mark Delgado in the penalty area, and the preferee is going to look at it… Share 3h ago 23.56 EDT 60 min: Chance! Erick Sánchez (Man I’ve been typing his name a lot) gets ahold of a nice volley at the top of the box, but it deflects off an LAFC defender and out for a corner. Share 3h ago 23.55 EDT Yellow to LAFC 59 min: LAFC’s Igor Jesus goes into the book for a lunging, studs-exposed sliding tackle on Erick Sánchez.
Share 3h ago 23.53 EDT 56 min: In a worrying development for LAFC, Club América has just hit what I believe is their first somewhat accurate cross into the penalty area. Every one up til now has been WAY over-hit. A good defensive header from Aaron Long saved this one, but if América has a few more of those, an opportunity will come.
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