LOS ANGELES — LAFC is headed to the Club World Cup. And Club América is going home.
Less than a week after falling short in the Liga MX final, América suffered another blow — this time on foreign soil. Backed by a large supporters section here at BMO Stadium that at times drowned out the home team’s fans, the Mexican giants pushed LAFC to the brink, but it was the MLS side that delivered in extra time; Denis Bouanga’s deflected shot broke a 115th-minute deadlock.
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And at the end of 120 minutes in Saturday’s high-stakes play-in game for León’s vacated Club World Cup slot, LAFC edged América 2-1, and secured MLS a third place in the expanded global tournament.
For LAFC, it’s redemption against a Mexican side in a high-profile setting after losing to León in the 2023 CONCACAF Champions Cup final — which is why, two years later, LAFC ended up in this playoff.
Its first real threat of the game came in the 18th minute after Sebastian Caceres’ reckless studs-up challenge on Mark Delgado earned him a yellow card. After Delgado received treatment, LAFC’s free kick from near midfield found Nathan Ordaz inside the box. Ordaz’s left-footed shot went just wide of the post.
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After a sleepy first half, the game finally turned in the 63rd minute. Delgado’s rough tackle on Erick Sanchez inside LAFC’s box gifted América a penalty. Brian Rodríguez, who spent four years at LAFC, stepped up and drilled the penalty kick past Hugo Lloris to put América ahead 1-0.
Then, in the 89th minute, with América having one foot in the Club World Cup’s door, LAFC found the equalizer. Bouanga’s corner kick found Igor Jesus, and the midfielder’s header sailed into the net.
After seven minutes of intense stoppage time with LAFC almost finding the winner, 30 minutes of extra time were added. And in the 115th minute, Bouanga found the winner.
Why LAFC is a perfect Club World Cup flag-bearer for MLS
LAFC will be Major League Soccer’s third team in the Club World Cup, and in many ways, it will be the best representative.
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First: It has been something of a model MLS club ever since its inception in 2018.
Second: Neither of the league’s other two participants will offer an accurate litmus test.
Inter Miami is exceptional. It has Lionel Messi and a roster unlike anything MLS has ever seen. Its performance won’t tell us much about the league’s progress or lack thereof. It won’t give American club soccer a measuring stick.
Nor will the Seattle Sounders, because they’ll probably get pummeled by PSG and Atlético Madrid — because almost anybody would get pummeled by PSG right now. The Sounders, too, represent plenty positive aspects of MLS, but their Club World Cup group — PSG, Atléti and reigning South American champion Botafogo — is regrettably murderous.
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LAFC, on the other hand, will slot right into the middle of Group D. It will face Chelsea (England), Flamengo (Brazil) and Espérance Tunis (Tunisia). It could realistically scrape seven points from those three games. It could also flame out with zero.
Its performance, therefore, will tell us more than anything or anybody else about how MLS compares to other leagues on other continents.
LAFC’s Club World Cup schedule
LAFC will open on the third day of the tournament, June 16, in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium against Chelsea.
It will follow that with a June 20 match in Nashville vs. ES Tunis and a June 24 tilt vs. Flamengo in Orlando.
The 32-team tournament kicks off June 14 in Miami Gardens, Florida, with Inter Miami facing Egypt’s Al Ahly.
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