LAFC had no margin for error heading into Saturday’s final game of the regular season.
To stay in first place in the Western Conference, they needed to beat the San Jose Earthquakes, the Galaxy needed to lose in Houston, and they needed to overcome a two-point gap with the Galaxy in goal difference.
They won all three thanks to an unlikely result in Houston.
LAFC defender Marlon came off the bench and scored a header in the first minute of stoppage time to seal a 3-1 victory over the Quakes at BMO Stadium, giving LAFC (19-8-7) and the Galaxy a point. They were evenly matched. And while they won at the top of the conference table, the tiebreaker also gave the Black and Gold a one-score advantage.
But while LAFC was celebrating in Los Angeles, Galaxy’s Gabriel Peck converted a penalty kick in stoppage time in Houston, giving the Galaxy a chance to tie the game and earn the points they needed for the conference title and home-field advantage. It looked like they were making preparations. play off.
This was only temporary, however, as former Galaxy defender Daniel Steles scored a goal seconds later in the 11th minute of stoppage time, giving Dynamo a 2-1 victory and returning the title to LAFC.
LAFC’s first two goals came 11 minutes apart in the second half, the first from Dennis Bouanga to equalize in the 64th minute, and the second from Eduardo Atuesta to put his team ahead.
LAFC opens the postseason next week, playing the winner of the wild card game between the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps in a best-of-three series. LAFC has played the first three rounds of the postseason at home and has the best record in MLS since entering the league in 2018.
Jackson Yueill’s first goal of the season was San Jose’s only point. Defender Paul Murray set up the goal, and Yueill pushed the ball into the box. He extended his right foot and took control, past LAFC’s Eddie Segura and cleanly beat keeper Hugo Lloris from outside the six-yard box. Ta.
Olivier Giroud looked like LAFC might have tied the score eight minutes later, but he fired a right-footed shot past Quakes keeper Daniel and into an empty net. However, the LAFC striker was offside and assistant referee Felisha Mariscal immediately raised the flag and the goal was disallowed.
San Jose (6-25-3), eliminated from playoff contention five weeks ago, has won just two games since mid-May, but one of the Quakes’ early season wins came against LAFC. , brought black and gold again. Things were fine until Bouanga scored his 20th goal of the season and led the team.
The game started with midfielder Timothy Tillman lofting a cross towards Giroud in the center of the box. San Jose defender Rodriguez headed the ball away, but the ball landed at Bouanga’s feet near the right edge of the penalty area, where he fired a shot into the back of the goal with his right foot.
The goal was the Quakes’ 76th goal of the season, the most in MLS history. However, this was not to be the last, as Atuesta scored a goal from almost the same position seconds after coming off the bench, putting LAFC in the lead for relegation.
The goal was Atuesta’s second since March 30, giving him a career-high four points this season and setting the stage for stoppage-time fireworks.
With their 25th loss of the season, San Jose ties the 1999 Metro Stars as the team with the most losses in an MLS season.
