Wednesday, Oct. 29 | 7:30 p.m. PT | presented by HYBE
🏟 | BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
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LAFC’s postseason journey begins Wednesday night at BMO Stadium with Game 1 of its Round One Best-of-3 series against Austin FC.
Seeded third in the Western Conference, LAFC hosts sixth-seeded Austin to determine which club will take a 1-0 series lead into Game 2 on Sunday, November 2, in Austin, Texas. The first team with two wins advances to the Western Conference Semifinal, a single-elimination match on November 22 or 23.
In Round One, matches that are tied after 90 minutes go straight to penalty kicks to determine the winner.
Game 1 is presented by HYBE and will feature Korean-inspired food and entertainment that brings the essence of K-pop to BMO Stadium.
LAFC just earned its fourth consecutive top-four finish in the regular season, something no other MLS club has done in that span, and has reached two of the last three MLS Cup Finals.
LAFC enters the match with a record of 6W-1L-1D in its last eight regular-season matches, while Austin enters on a 4W-4L-0D run over its last eight. One of Austin’s wins in that span was a 1-0 defeat of LAFC in Austin on October 12, which marked the second time Austin had defeated the Black & Gold by that score this season.
STAR POWER
Game 1 marks the home return of Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-Min, who have not played at BMO Stadium since Oct. 5, when Bouanga scored the matchwinner and both stars played all 90 minutes in the Black & Gold’s 1-0 win over Atlanta United. That night Atlanta defended deep and held LAFC to just four shots on goal, almost two beneath its per-game average of 5.79 (third best in MLS). Austin will likely bring a similar approach to BMO Stadium in an effort to slow down the hottest attacking duo in the league.
Bouanga and Son have combined to score 20 goals in the ten matches they’ve played together since Son’s arrival from England in August, including a league-record 18 straight goals between Aug. 23 and Oct. 5.
In mid-October, Bouanga, the 2025 MLS Golden Boot co-runner-up, and Son, winner of the MLS Goal of the Year award, stepped away to play for their respective national teams and missed two regular-season matches. After they returned for LAFC’s Decision Day draw against Colorado (see below), head coach Steve Cherundolo, said he was looking forward to having his two scoring stars back in training “to fine-tune our attack, our offensive organization, and our defensive organization as well over the next ten days.”
The fruit of those training sessions will be on display Wednesday night.
The newest member of the Black & Gold, Brazilian midfielder Jailson, has played well in his three appearances with LAFC (65 total minutes) and will likely be relied on in this series as the Black & Gold continues to adapt to the season-ending knee injury suffered by Igor Jesus two months ago.
BIG GAME BOUANGA
Whether it’s the ten career goals he’s scored against the Galaxy, or his standing as the all-time top scorer in Leagues Cup, or the extra-time matchwinner he fired home to push LAFC into this year’s FIFA Club World Cup, Bouanga thrives on big stages, with high stakes.
LAFC’s all-time leader in postseason goals, Bouanga has scored eight goals in 12 playoff games with LAFC, more playoff goals than any active MLS player has scored since the start of 2018. His last such goal came on a penalty kick in Game 1 of last year’s Round One Best-of-3 series against Vancouver, leading LAFC to a 2-1 win at home and an eventual victory in the series.
This year Bouanga became the first player in league history to record three straight 20-goal seasons, but he hasn't just been prolific, he’s been efficient too. Bouanga finished second in MLS in total shots, with 150, behind Lionel Messi (157 shots), but Bouanga ranked first in shots on target with 73 to Messi’s 71.
RECENT RESULTS
LAFC’s last outing was a 2-2 draw in chilly conditions against the Colorado Rapids on October 18. The Rapids, who were fighting for the West’s final playoff spot, held a late 2-1 lead before LAFC tied the game with a 90th-minute goal from another recent arrival, 22-year-old Irish midfielder Andrew Moran (his first in MLS). Son scored the opening goal in that match—his ninth of the year—and played 76 minutes while Bouanga played 88.
Austin’s most recent match was a 2-1 defeat to the San Jose Earthquakes on the road last weekend. The Quakes held more possession and created more chances than the Verde, who played in their own half for most of the match. A deflected shot from distance by Austin attacker Josh Wolff, who has enjoyed a breakout season in 2025, gave the visitors an early 1-0 lead, but Austin’s second shot on goal wouldn’t come until the 87th minute.
The Verde absorbed pressure from San Jose until the Quakes’ Josef Martinez finally headed a cross past Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver to level the match in the 74th minute. Then 20-year-old Niko Tsakiris beat Stuver on a free kick from distance to seal San Jose’s 2-1 win.
SHAPE SHIFTING
Both clubs can—and do—change formations throughout each match given the circumstances, deploying three, four, or sometimes five defenders on their back lines. Austin head coach Nico Estévez said his team will be ready for anything. “We know they can switch on the fly,” Estévez said of LAFC. “We have to expect them be more aggressive playing at home than they were here [on October 12].”
LAFC’s three-back setup, with center backs Ryan Porteous and Eddie Segura flanking Nkosi Tafari, has proven effective over the last two months. Outside backs Sergi Palencia (right) and either Artem Smoliakov or Ryan Hollingshead (left) will take turns advancing forward, or they could remain forward in a 3-5-2 setup that gives them freedom to make creative runs toward goal.
INJURIES & AVAILABILITY
Austin striker Myrto Uzuni (six goals, three assists) and winger Osman Bukari (three goals, seven assists) were held out of last weekend’s match in San Jose as a precautionary measure due to minor injuries. Both are expected to be available for Game 1. Forward Diego Rubio (two goals, three assists) is dealing with a hamstring injury and has not played since October 4.
LAFC is expected to be fully fit for the match.
SCOUTING AUSTIN
Austin’s strength lies in its defending and its self-awareness. With an attack that ranks last in the conference in goals scored, Austin knows how to stay in games and generate the goals it needs when it needs them.
Key to that strategy is goalkeeper Stuver, who has played almost every minute of every match in Austin’s five-year history, missing only four of the 170 regular-season matches Austin has played since its debut in 2021. This year he has raised his level, making the MLS All-Star roster on his way to leading the league in saves. Stuver and his back line excel at defending set pieces, conceding just two goals on corner kicks all year, and just two on free kicks.
Wolff, the 20-year-old midfielder who can moonlight as a forward in Austin’s preferred 3-4-3 shape, leads the club in goals (8) and assists (7). He scored the matchwinner for the Verde two weeks ago in their 1-0 win over LAFC in Austin.
REMEMBERING 2022
The last time these two clubs met in the playoffs was three years ago this week, when LAFC defeated Austin 3-0 on its way to the 2022 MLS Cup championship. Five current Austin players played in that match on October 30, 2022: Stuver, Wolff, midfielder Dani Pereira, and defenders Julio Cascante and Jon Gallagher.
Three LAFC players who saw minutes in that 2022 match will be on hand for Game 1 on Wednesday: Bouanga, Hollingshead, and midfielder Ilie Sánchez (below), the former Black & Gold captain who now serves as Austin’s captain.
AUSTIN CAN WIN IF
They carry a lead or a tie into the closing minutes. If Stuver and center backs Brendan Hines-Ike and Oleksandr Svatok can somehow contain Bouanga, Son, and Company for 70 minutes, a late set piece or referee decision could provide an opportunity to win outright or send the game to a penalty shootout. Austin’s toughest task is finding a way to score against an LAFC defense that conceded only 13 goals at home all year, fewer than any team in MLS.
LAFC CAN WIN IF
The unrivaled advantage of playing at BMO Stadium exerts itself once again. No team has a better home record than the Black & Gold since it entered the league in 2018. Before last season’s conference semifinal defeat to Seattle, LAFC had not lost a home playoff game since 2019.
Since MLS unveiled this playoff format three years ago, LAFC has a record of 4W-1L-0D in Round One Best-of-3 matches (with all four wins coming over the Vancouver Whitecaps), outscoring opponents 9-6 in those matches.
