LAFC claims final spot in Club World Cup with 2-1 victory over Club América in play-in match

Winnipeg Free Press

2 days ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Denis Bouanga scored late in extra time and Los Angeles FC dramatically secured the final spot in the FIFA Club World Cup with a 2-1 victory over Club América in a play-in match on Saturday night.
Igor Jesus tied it for LAFC in the 89th minute, slipping through traffic and converting a header for his first goal with his new club.
After 24 tense minutes of extra time, Bouanga jumped into the play and fired home a deflected shot from the top of the penalty area in the 115th minute, setting off a wild celebration at BMO Stadium and sending LAFC to its first Club World Cup.
LAFC will join English club Chelsea, Brazil's Flamengo and Tunisia's ES Tunis when group play begins in two weeks across the U.S. South.
LAFC's victory is extraordinarily lucrative for the Major League Soccer power, guaranteeing at least $9.55 million in prize money for making the tournament field. The club also has a chance at nearly $100 million more in prize money from FIFA's nearly $1 billion pool.
Brian Rodríguez put América ahead midway through the second half by converting a penalty kick against his former team, but Las Águilas fell short in front of thousands of supporters.
One spot in the 32-team Club World Cup was open because FIFA disqualified León under its rules against participation by multiple clubs owned by the same entity. León and Pachuca are owned by the same group, and León lost its appeal to the Court of Arbitration for Sport four weeks ago after attempting to change its ownership structure.
With a stadium full of raucous fans supporting both teams, LAFC and América were cautious in the first half, putting just one shot on target apiece.
Rodríguez beat Hugo Lloris from the spot in the 64th minute, capitalizing on a penalty awarded following a video review of Mark Delgado's risky, spikes-up challenge on Erick Sánchez. Rodríguez, who came on as a halftime substitute after recently recovering from injury, spent parts of four seasons with LAFC from 2019-22 before the Uruguayan winger moved to América for a hefty transfer fee.
LAFC got moving offensively when Olivier Giroud came on as a second-half substitute. The French star nearly tipped home a pass in the box in the 81st minute, but Luis Malagón thwarted him. LAFC cranked up its late pressure behind Bouanga and Giroud.
Jesus, the 22-year-old Brazilian midfielder, finally beat Malagón with a header in the box.
Lloris stopped a point-blank chance for Javairô Dilrosun in the second half of extra time shortly before Bouanga's winner.
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Tickets for the match were distributed equally between the clubs' supporters — and América has a large fan base in Los Angeles, where Mexican teams and players are greeted with massive support whenever they visit. América fans mobbed the south stands at BMO Stadium 90 minutes before kickoff, while LAFC's famed North End crowd was packed.
Both sections set off fireworks and smoke bombs after kickoff, underlining the remarkable atmosphere and giving a taste of what's to come in June and July.
The largest Club World Cup to date will be held across the U.S. as a precursor to the FIFA World Cup's return to North America in 2026. Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders already qualified from Major League Soccer, while Pachuca and Monterrey already qualified from Liga MX.
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AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer