LAFC drew 1-1 against Liga MX side Querétaro F.C. on Wednesday night at BMO Stadium, then won the postmatch penalty shootout 5-3, sustaining its hopes of advancing to the Quarterfinals of Leagues Cup.
The result pushed LAFC to seven points in Phase One, which is tied with Real Salt Lake for the second-best point total in Leagues Cup’s MLS table. The top four LAFC clubs will advance to the Quarterfinals. Two MLS teams - Chicago and Austin - trail LAFC by one point, with six points each. Chicago and Austin both have one match left to play in Phase One, on Thursday.
Querétaro started the scoring in the 12th minute when striker Ali Avíla Vega headed a loose ball past LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris right after Lloris had batted away a shot from distance by Bayron Duarte.
Querétaro took its 1-0 lead into halftime, despite heavy attacking pressure from the hosts late in the first half, but LAFC equalized in the 57th minute when Denis Bouanga tapped in a cross from right back Ryan Raposo to level the match 1-1. The goal was Bouanga’s 15th in Leagues Cup play over the last four years, making him the tournament’s all-time leading scorer.
The Black & Gold pushed for the matchwinner over the last half-hour but Querétaro goalkeeper Guillermo Allison kept his net empty to force penalty kicks. The deciding shootout was even through four rounds, but a Querétaro miss allowed LAFC’s Ryan Porteous to drive home the decisive strike to take the shootout 5-3 and give LAFC two points on the night instead of one.
LAFC returns to MLS play this Saturday, August 15, when it hosts San Diego FC at BMO Stadium at 7:30 p.m. PT. Select tickets are still available. The match will be broadcast on Apple TV. Local radio coverage will be available on 710 AM ESPN, the ESPN LA app (English), 980 AM La Mera Mera (Spanish), and KYPA 1230 AM (Korean).
