Denis Bouanga scored twice, and Cristian Arango’s game winner came in the 93rd minute for the Los Angeles FC in the Western Conference semifinal, in another scintillating El Trafico matchup over crosstown rival Los Angeles Galaxy 3–2 on Thursday night, Oct. 20, in front of the packed Banc of California Stadium.
The MLS expansion franchise in 2018 won their second Supporters’ Shield with the best league record, and the victory advances LAFC to their second Western Conference final in hopes of their first MLS final.
LAFC have won both playoff meetings against the Galaxy, though the MLS leading Galaxy have hoisted five MLS Cups and hold a 6–2–5 advantage in the regular-season.
LAFC will continue to play host in the playoffs and will face the winner of the other Western Conference semifinal between Austin FC and FC Dallas on Sunday.
Galaxy’s Samuel Grandsir and Dejan Joveljic scored equalizers for the fourth-seeded side, and former Barcelona academy midfielder Riqui Puig received a yellow card in the 12th minute.
The match opened in typical El Trafico form with physical intensity from both sides maintaining their defensive structure, until the 18th minute when Grandsir struck the crossbar from the right edge of the box.
LAFC captain Carlos Vela found Bouanga, an August signee from the French Ligue 2 club Saint-Etienne, near the center of the box in the 23rd minute for the opening goal. Bouanga skillfully controlled the ball with a turn towards the goal for a low left-footed shot past Galaxy keeper Jonathan Bond.
Galaxy would tie the score late in the first half in the 44th minute with a goal by Grandsir, from the center of the box with a low right-footer past Canadian National Team goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau.
The second half saw more open play from both sides as LAFC created more offensive opportunities with a total of 14 shots, five on goal, versus the Galaxy’s 11 shots, four on goal—though the Galaxy held the ball with 61 percent possession.
Bouanga would convert again in the 80th minute as Arango found outside defender Ryan Hollingshead on a deep run to the right side of the box.
Hollingshead sent a low cross to the left, skipping off the boot of Kwadwo Opoku who attempted to shoot at the goal, ending up with Bouanga finishing from the back side of the six yard box for a seemingly game-winner 2–1.
The game-winner came through frantic play from both teams late in the match in the 93rd minute, beginning from a Kellyn Acosta (USMNT) corner kick, finding Bouanga for a volley, that was saved by Bond.
The ball came hard off of Bond’s mitt, bouncing off the ground and giving “Chicho” Arango a right side of the boot volley from close range into the top of the goal—with the home crowd giving a long roar celebrating the 3–2 victory.
LAFC’s two international mid-season acquisitions did not see action, as former Italian National Team captain and Juventus defender Giorgio Chiellini remained on the bench.
