LAFC suffered a 4-2 loss to the LA Galaxy on Saturday night at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, Calif., snapping a three-game winning streak against its rivals. With the loss, LAFC is now 14-7-6 on the season for 48 points and remains in second place in the Western Conference.
It took just four minutes for LAFC to open the scoring with Mateusz Bogusz, who made his international debut for Poland earlier in the week, heading the ball home from close range for his 14th goal of the season. Denis Bouanga got in behind the Galaxy defense on the left wing and hit a short cross that was deflected into the path of Bogusz, who gave his team a 1-0 lead.
Eleven minutes later, LAFC doubled its lead with Bouanga again getting in behind the Galaxy defense. This time he cut past a pair of defenders before squeezing a low, left-footed shot past Galaxy goalkeeper John McCarthy to make the score 2-0. That goal was Bouanga’s 17th of the season in MLS play and marked his fourth straight regular-season game against the Galaxy with a goal.
LAFC almost had a third just before halftime, but Olivier Giroud’s 39th-minute shot struck the inside of the post before McCarthy saved the rebound from Bouanga.
At the other end, Hugo Lloris was imense in goal for the Black & Gold, making numerous fine saves and crucial interventions to help send his side into halftime with a 2-0 advantage.
Ten minutes into the second half Dejan Jovelić struck first for the Galaxy in the 53rd minute. Edwin Cerrillo equalized two minutes later.
Jovelić scored the eventual game-winner in the 67th minute, deflecting a Riqui Puig strike into the net from close range, giving the Galaxy a 3-2 advantage.
In the 79th minute, LAFC was reduced to 10 men when Lewis O’Brien was shown a straight red card for a foul on the Galaxy’s Miki Yamane. The home side added a fourth and final goal in the 86th minute with Puig sealing the 4-2 victory.
LAFC returns to action next Wednesday, Sept. 18 against Austin FC. Kickoff at BMO Stadium is scheduled for 7:30 and the match will be broadcast on Apple TV's MLS Season Pass. Radio coverage is available on the ESPN LA App, 710 AM ESPN, and KFWB 980 AM La Mera Mera.
NEWS & NOTES
- With the loss, LAFC is 14-7-6 in the league this season for 48 points.
- The loss snaps LAFC’s club-record seven-game road unbeaten streak in MLS play. Prior to tonight’s loss, LAFC had not lost a league game away from BMO Stadium since May 4.
- LAFC scored twice tonight, snapping a four-game streak in all competitions of scoring one or zero goals.
- Denis Bouanga now has 17 goals on the season, which is tied for second place in MLS, two goals behind league leader Christian Benteke. Bouanga is aiming to become the first player in MLS history to win the Golden Boot in consecutive seasons.
- Mateusz Bogusz collected his 14th goal of the season and is now one goal shy of becoming the fifth LAFC player to score 15 or more goals in a single season, joining Cristian Arango, Denis Bouanga, Diego Rossi, and Carlos Vela.
- Ryan Hollingshead made the 280th appearance of his MLS career in the game while Timothy Tillman played in his 50th regular-season game for LAFC.
