Latest news with #DenisBouanga
Yahoo
a day ago
- Business
- Yahoo
LAFC book place in Chelsea's group at Club World Cup
Los Angeles FC booked a place in Chelsea's group at this summer's Fifa Club World Cup after coming from behind to beat Club America in a play-off. Gabon international Denis Bouanga drilled home the winner five minutes from the end of extra time after the match, being played at LAFC's BMO Stadium, had finished 1-1. Advertisement The one-off game was played after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Fifa's decision to expel Mexican side Club Leon from the new extended 32-team tournament, which will be played in the United States from 15 June to 13 July. Fifa determined in March that Club Leon did not meet tournament regulations on multi-club ownership. They had qualified for the Club World Cup after beating LAFC in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League final, while Club America were the highest-ranked team behind Club Leon in confederation ranking who did not qualify for the competition. Club America took the lead in the play-off through a 64th minute penalty by former LAFC player Brian Rodriguez after Mark Delgado had fouled Erick Sanchez. Advertisement Brazilian Igor Jesus headed home an 89th-minute equaliser, his first LAFC goal, to take the game into extra time. Former Chelsea and Arsenal forward Oliver Giroud provided the spark for LAFC after being introduced off the bench in the 74th minute. The 38-year-old, a World Cup winner with France, set up Bouanga's winner as the play-off looked to be heading for a penalty shootout. LAFC, who also include former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in their ranks, will face Chelsea in their opening Group D fixture in Atalanta on 16 June, before further matches against Brazilian side Flamengo and Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
BBC News
a day ago
- Business
- BBC News
LAFC book place in Chelsea's group at Club World Cup
Los Angeles FC booked a place in Chelsea's group at this summer's Fifa Club World Cup after coming from behind to beat Club America in a play-off. Gabon international Denis Bouanga drilled home the winner five minutes from the end of extra time after the match, being played at LAFC's BMO Stadium, had finished 1-1. The one-off game was played after the Court of Arbitration for Sport upheld Fifa's decision to expel Mexican side Club Leon from the new extended 32-team tournament, which will be played in the United States from 15 June to 13 July. Fifa determined in March that Club Leon did not meet tournament regulations on multi-club ownership. They had qualified for the Club World Cup after beating LAFC in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League final, while Club America were the highest-ranked team behind Club Leon in confederation ranking who did not qualify for the America took the lead in the play-off through a 64th minute penalty by former LAFC player Brian Rodriguez after Mark Delgado had fouled Erick Igor Jesus headed home an 89th-minute equaliser, his first LAFC goal, to take the game into extra time. Former Chelsea and Arsenal forward Oliver Giroud provided the spark for LAFC after being introduced off the bench in the 74th 38-year-old, a World Cup winner with France, set up Bouanga's winner as the play-off looked to be heading for a penalty who also include former Tottenham goalkeeper Hugo Lloris in their ranks, will face Chelsea in their opening Group D fixture in Atalanta on 16 June, before further matches against Brazilian side Flamengo and Esperance Sportive de Tunis.
New York Times
2 days ago
- Business
- New York Times
LAFC's Club World Cup play-in triumph was culminating moment, says coach Cherundolo
Steve Cherundolo sprinted towards the corner flag, his arms raised in celebration. When LAFC striker Denis Bouanga's extra-time winner pierced the Club América net, the club's normally reserved head coach simply could not contain his emotions. After LAFC's 2-1 win over the Mexican side booked a spot in the upcoming Club World Cup, Cherundolo confessed that he has a tendency to dwell on moments when LAFC has come up short. Inside the BMO Stadium press conference room, the 46-year-old former U.S. international attempted to recall memories that he'd rather forget. Advertisement 'I tend to hear all of the losses and not the wins and all of the great moments of this team and what this club has done over the last three and a half years,' said Cherundolo. 'And so it's exactly what you saw. It's just pure raw emotion. It's me wanting to celebrate with our players and our fans because they deserve it and we deserve it.' Cherundolo is leaving LAFC at the end of the season, the club announcing that he and his family will return to Germany for personal and professional reasons. Over his three-year span as head coach, Cherundolo has led the club to an MLS Cup title in 2022, a Supporters' Shield that same season and a U.S. Open Cup in 2024. There have been disappointments, as well, namely the 2023 Concacaf Champions Cup final loss to León. It was a defeat that appeared to rob LAFC of a chance to compete at a Club World Cup. León's expulsion from the tournament gave LAFC a lifeline. They would have to get past a Club América team that has made history in Mexico after winning three consecutive Liga MX titles and narrowly failing to add another last week. What felt like an uphill battle against a much stronger side on paper ended in euphoria on Saturday night. Bouanga, who had terrorized América's fullbacks all night, celebrated with his trademark front flip in the 115th minute. It was a dagger in the hearts of the Mexicans. For Cherundolo, it was an instance that brought his tenure at LAFC full circle. It wasn't a golden goal, but it felt like one for LAFC's staff and rabid community of fans. 'It's kind of a culmination of three and a half years of hard work and dedication that just kind of explodes in that moment,' he said. 'And I don't know if it's intuition, but I felt very comfortable after that. There's no chance, no chance of ever losing that game.' When Brazilian referee Wilton Sampaio blew his whistle to start the match, the LAFC and América supporters' sections simultaneously released smoke flares, in black and yellow, respectively, which engulfed the pitch and set the mood. FIFA's Club World Cup concept suddenly felt very real. The game was tense and spirited. It felt like a cup final, and the prize at stake — a guarantee of at least $9.55 million — was very real. If this is what FIFA had in mind when the governing body created the 32-team tournament, much to the initial dismay of players and clubs alike, well, so far so good. Advertisement If the participating teams deliver the type of effort that both LAFC and Club América displayed on Saturday night, FIFA may in fact be onto something. But this play-in match was an outlier of sorts. The U.S. vs. Mexico rivalry was on the line. It's always a battle of football culture when an MLS team faces a Mexican side. Pride was at stake in Los Angeles. It wouldn't have surprised many to have seen América advance to the Club World Cup. Under Brazilian manager Andre Jardine, Las Aguilas (the eagles) have tasted domestic success on a continuum. The recent glut of success has had pundits in Mexico debating whether this América team was the best in the club's 108-year history. A devastating loss to Toluca in an intense two-legged Liga MX final last Sunday, had left América wounded emotionally and physically before the play-in match. To add more pressure to the equation, a loss to an MLS team is unacceptable no matter how much MLS has closed the perceived gap between the two leagues. LAFC is a club with eight years of existence. They're a toddler in comparison to the seasoned Mexican club that has already celebrated a centenary of continuance. But outside of Inter Miami and Seattle Sounders, the two MLS teams that had already qualified for the tournament finals, on Saturday, LAFC were the envy of their MLS counterparts. And according to Cherundolo, the win was a seminal moment not just for LAFC, but for MLS as a whole. 'As a club, I think it puts you above and beyond many, many other clubs in the MLS,' Cherundolo claimed. 'I think it puts you at a different level. And it is also a help for the entire league of putting the league on the map at the Club World Cup with one more team. I think it's an important night for everybody involved in our sport in this country and more specifically in this league.' Advertisement While LAFC is a young club it is certainly no slouch in Concacaf. In 2020 LAFC eliminated a favored América side in the semifinals of the Champions Cup. Since then LAFC has added players, sold key personnel and overhauled its squad like most MLS clubs do every offseason. 'We maximize and stretch every single dollar to try to compete with the best in our region,' Cherundolo said. 'And now we get to compete with the best in the world, but it is not always going to work like that. You do need to stay competitive financially, as well.' Against América, a team with internationals at nearly every position, LAFC had Hugo Lloris in goal, a World Cup winner with France in 2018. Former Arsenal center forward Olivier Giroud entered in the second half and made a big impact, despite playing a small part in LAFC's 2025 season thus far. LAFC's most influential French national, however, is Bouanga. In typical fashion, the Gabon international was a threat all night with his tireless running and clever dribbling. 'I'm always hungry,' Bouanga said through a translator in the stadium mixed zone. '(Extra time) felt like a third half. I love the game of football. I always try to give the best of myself. I always give 100 percent in every game.' 'This guy's relentless, man,' LAFC defender Aaron Long said of Bouanga. 'He's the best. There's not enough good things you can say about Denis. He shows up every game, plays 90 minutes, every game. He can run forever. He just puts fear into anyone he's playing against. And by the end of the game, he just wears you down. It was a fantastic performance. I'm happy it was him that scored the winning goal. He deserves it.' LAFC was truly the better team. Perhaps Cherundolo's comments on Friday were as intentional as they sounded, though. Despite being confident in his team's preparation for the match, Cherundolo didn't mince words when asked to compare the two teams. 'We're the underdogs,' he said with a straight face. The game, however, told a different story. LAFC was the aggressor throughout the night. They had Club América on their heels and should've put the game away on numerous occasions. The extra time period was a reprieve for the Mexican side. It became a second chance to steal the victory from the supposedly undermanned MLS outfit. When former LAFC winger Brian Rodríguez converted an América penalty in the 64th minute, it briefly energized a team that had begun to show signs of wear and tear. América stood their ground and in the 89th minute, Jardine went to his bench, making a number of substitutions in an effort to close out the 1-0 win. Advertisement The decision backfired. LAFC defensive midfielder Igor Jesus scored from a corner kick seconds later and sent BMO Stadium into an absolute frenzy. After the match Jardine was pressed by multiple Mexican reporters about that sequence of events. Jardine has considerable equity in Mexico. No coach had ever won three straight Liga MX titles until he did. On Friday, Jardine was asked if he envisioned himself at the club for the long-term. If he wanted to emulate former Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson and remain with América for double digit years. Jardine shook off the question, but after the loss to LAFC, he was being battered about his tactics and late-game adjustments. 'It hurts. We're all very hurt,' Jardine said, before acknowledging that the criticism may be justified. América's fall from grace will be debated heavily in Mexico. Stateside, LAFC will enjoy the momentary hype that comes with earning a Club World Cup berth. América may not agree, but the play-in match lived up to its billing. 'This feels amazing,' Cherundolo said. 'And there's no better way to qualify for a tournament than winning games. When the idea was presented to us, we all kind of shrugged. But after seeing and living through that tonight, what a great idea. I think both teams fought extremely hard for it.'
Free Malaysia Today
2 days ago
- Business
- Free Malaysia Today
LAFC qualify for Club World Cup with win over Club America
LAFC's win earned them a spot in the first edition of Fifa's 32-team Club World Cup. (AP pic) LOS ANGELES : Denis Bouanga grabbed a dramatic extra-time winner to send Los Angeles FC into the Club World Cup with a 2-1 win over Mexico's Club America today. The team from Mexico City looked to have booked their place – and the guaranteed US$9.5 million participation reward – after a penalty from former LAFC player Brian Rodriguez in the 64th minute. But Brazilian Igor Jesus's 89th minute header for LAFC took the game into extra-time and five minutes from the end of the second period Bouanga drilled home the dramatic winner. It was a game with high stakes played in front of a boisterous crowd divided between the two teams and the tension was palpable from the outset. But it was the Californian club, who only began life in MLS seven years ago, who triumphed and earned a spot in the first edition of the expanded 32-team Fifa tournament. LAFC will line up in Group D of the Club World Cup, where they will face Premier League side Chelsea, Brazil's Flamengo and Esperance Tunis of Tunisia in the tournament which gets under way on June 14. The one-off 'play-in' match came about following Fifa's decision to ban Mexican club Leon from the tournament. Leon were barred because the club is owned by Grupo Pachuca, which also controls Liga MX side Pachuca, who are also taking part in the tournament. LAFC were given the chance on the basis of finishing as runners-up to Leon in the 2023 Concacaf Champions League. America, founded 108 years ago, were handed the opportunity due to their status as the 'top-ranked team' in confederation rankings. While LAFC had the nominal home field advantage, at their BMO Stadium, California is home to many Club America fans and the result was a de facto neutral venue. The atmosphere was electric but chances were rare in the opening half with the Mexican team enjoying the better possession but causing few problems for LA's former France goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. But when Mark Delgado's challenge on Erick Sanchez in the box was ruled a foul, after a VAR review, substitute Rodriguez kept his cool and sent Lloris the wrong way to put America ahead. Rodriguez had a chance to secure the outcome 10 minutes later but he floated his shot wide. The introduction of former France and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud in the 74th minute proved to be decisive, however, with the 38-year-old's presence causing plenty of problems for the America backline. Giroud's improvised shot with the outside of his foot forced Luis Malagon into a save and moments later the Club America keeper kept out a header from the Frenchman. With just a minute of normal time remaining, LAFC grabbed a lifeline when a Bouanga corner was met with a thundering header from Jesus. LAFC almost won the game in regulation but Malagon did brilliantly to keep out a cross/shot from Timothy Tillman that was heading towards the top corner. Then it was extra-time and with penalties looming, Frankie Amaya fed a ball in to Giroud on the edge of the box who laid off to the on-rushing Bouanga whose fierce shot took a wicked deflection and flashed past the helpless Malagon. The France-born Gabon international has scored 80 goals for LA, in all competitions, since joining the club from St Etienne in 2022 but none more valuable than this one. The win ensures that the tournament host nation will have three competing teams from Major League Soccer with the Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami already in the competition. The tournament concludes with a final in MetLife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13 with the winner taking home over US$100 million.
The Star
2 days ago
- Sport
- The Star
Soccer-Bouanga's extra time strike takes LAFC into Club World Cup
May 31, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; LAFC forward Denis Bouanga (99) controls the ball against Club America midfielder Alvaro Fidalgo (8) in the second half during a playoff match of the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup at BMO Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn Images (Reuters) -Denis Bouanga scored an extra-time winner to lift Los Angeles FC to a 2-1 victory over Club America in a Club World Cup qualifying playoff match at the BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday. The winger, who had orchestrated much of LAFC's attacking output in the match, scored the winner in the 115th minute after unleashing a shot that took a wicked deflection on its way into the net. After a goalless first half, Mexico's Club America were awarded a penalty in the 62nd minute, when referee Wilton Sampaio went to the pitchside monitor and ruled that Mark Delgado had fouled Erick Sanchez. Substitute Brian Rodriguez, who made 64 appearances for LAFC between 2019 and 2022, stepped up to the spot and fired his effort past goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. LAFC pressed hard for an equaliser and their pressure paid off when Igor Jesus headed home from a corner in the 89th minute to score his first goal for the club and take the match into extra time. The Major League Soccer side go into Group D alongside Brazil's Flamengo, Tunisian club Esperance de Tunis and Premier League side Chelsea. The playoff was held to decide the 32nd team in the Club World Cup after Club Leon were kicked out of the tournament in March due to an ownership rule breach. The Mexican club also had their appeal rejected at the Court of Arbitration for Sport. The expanded 32-team Club World Cup runs from June 14 to July 13 in the United States with prize money of $1 billion at stake. (Reporting by Aadi Nair in Bengaluru; Editing by Clarence Fernandez)
