Gabon forward Denis Bouanga scored late in overtime, and Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) won the final spot in the FIFA Club World Cup in the game by defeating the Mexican team club 2-1.
Igor Jesus tied it to LAFC on the 89th minute Saturday night, glided in traffic and converted his first goal through his new club.
After 24 minutes of overtime, Bouanga jumped into the game and opened a deflected shot from the top of the free throw in the 115th minute, held a wild celebration at the BMO Stadium and sent LAFC to their first FIFA Club World Cup.
LAFC will join Chelsea, Brazil's Flamenco and Tunisia's ES Tunisia when team competitions began within two weeks of the southern United States.
The LAFC victory was very profitable for the power of Major League Soccer (MLS), guaranteeing at least $9.55 million in prize money to win the game. The club also received nearly $100 million in bonuses from FIFA's nearly $100 million swimming pool.
Brian Rodriguez gave the American club a midway ahead of the second half by kicking his former team, but Las Aguilas fell in front of thousands of supporters.
Opened at a position at the 32-team club World Cup because FIFA disqualified the Mexican team and its rules are rules for participation by multiple clubs owned by the same entity. Leon and Pachuca belong to the same group, who lost appeals to the Court of Arbitration four weeks ago after trying to change their ownership structure.
Second half thriller
In a stadium full of raucous fans supporting both teams, LAFC and Club America were cautious in the first half, shooting only against Target.
Rodriguez beat Hugo Lloris from the scene in the 64th minute, paying a fine after making a video review of Mark Delgado's dangerous challenge to Erick Sanchez.
Rodriguez, who recently recovered from injury, spent part of his time at the LAFC from 2019 to 2022 before moving to the Uruguayan winger to the U.S. for a high transfer fee.
LaFC attacked the offense when Olivier Giroud became a second-half substitute. The French star almost brought the box pass to home in the 81st minute, but Luis Malagon foiled him. LaFC puts late pressure behind Bouanga and Giroud.
Jesus was a 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder who ended up beating Maragon with the title in the box.
Shortly before Bouanga's winner, Lloris stopped Javairo Dilrosun's pointed chance in the second half of overtime.
Tickets for this game are evenly distributed among the club’s supporters, which has a large fan base in Los Angeles, with Mexican teams and players receiving a lot of support whenever they visit. 90 minutes before the kickoff, American fans of the American club surrounded the southern fence at the BMO Stadium, while LAFC's famous northern end crowd was packed.
After the kickoff, both parts sparked fireworks and smoke bombs, highlighting the extraordinary atmosphere and tasting the hours of June and July.
The largest club, the World Cup, will be held throughout the United States, as a pioneer in the FIFA World Cup return to North America in 2026. Miami and Seattle sounds have already been eligible for MLS, while Pachuca and Monterrey have been eligible for Liga MX.
