LAFC played Alajuelense of Costa Rica to a 1-1 draw at BMO Stadium on Tuesday night, in the first match of their two-game, home-and-away series in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16.
LAFC controlled possession and created several chances in the first half, but Alajuelense’s Alejandro Bran opened the scoring with a stunning volley from distance in the 44th minute that made the score 1-0 for the visitors.
After halftime, LAFC’s Denis Bouanga finished a pass from Son Heung-Min at close range to tie the match 1-1 in the 56th minute. A late flurry by LAFC did not produce a winner and now both teams will meet again next Tuesday, March 17, at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Costa Rica for the second leg, tied on aggregate goals.
The winner on aggregate goals advances to a Quarterfinal matchup against the winner of the Round-of-16 series between Cruz Azul and Monterrey. Kickoff next Tuesday in Costa Rica is scheduled for 6:00 p.m. PT.Â
Next up for LAFC is a visit from St. Louis CITY SC for an MLS matchup presented by the University of Phoenix, at BMO Stadium on Saturday, March 14. Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast on Apple TV as well as Coupang Play and SPOTV for fans in Korea. Local radio coverage will be available on 710 AM ESPN LA, 980 AM La Mera Mera, and K-Radio 1230 AM.
NOTES
- With the draw, LAFC remains unbeaten in 2026, moving its record to 5-0-1. It is 2-0-1 in the Champions Cup and 3-0-0 in MLS this year.
- This is the fourth time in its history that LAFC has qualified for Concacaf play. The club is 12-8-2 in 22 games all-time in the competition.
- LAFC is now 7-2-1 all-time at home in Concacaf competitions. Alajuelense is the only visiting team to have never lost at BMO Stadium, winning 2-1 here in 2023 and tying tonight.
- LAFC outshot Alajuelense 28-4 in tonight’s game and had 11 shots on goal compared to three for the visitors.
- Alejandro Bran’s goal for Alajuelense in the 44th minute snapped a streak of 443 minutes without conceding a goal in all competitions for LAFC. Prior to that goal, LAFC had not allowed a goal since the 51st minute of the 6-1 win over Real España in Honduras on February 17.
- Bran’s goal was also the first allowed by LAFC at home in the Champions Cup since the second leg of the 2023 Final against Leon on June 4, 2023, snapping a string of 479 minutes without allowing a goal.
- In 10 all-time home games in the Champions Cup/League, LAFC has outscored opponents 16-4 while keeping seven clean sheets.
- In LAFC’s only previous visit to Costa Rica, the club beat Alajuelense 3-0 in the first leg of the 2023 Concacaf Champions League Round of 16 thanks to a Denis Bouanga hat trick, his first-ever for the club. LAFC would go on to win that series 4-2 on aggregate.
- Bouanga’s second-half goal tonight was his fourth of the 2026 Champions Cup, making him the top scorer in the competition this year.
- He now has 14 all-time goals in Concacaf play, including four against Alajuelense.
- Son Heung-Min was credited with the assist on Bouanga’s goal. He now has a team-best four in the Champions Cup and seven in all competitions in 2026.
- Eight LAFC players (Denis Bouanga, Mathieu Choinière, Ryan Hollingshead, David MartÃnez, Nathan Ordaz, Son Heung-Min, Nkosi Tafari, and Timothy Tillman) have appeared in all three of the club’s Champions Cup games this year. Three (Bouanga, Son, and Tafari) have started all three games.
