LAFC shuts out Real España, advances in CONCACAF Champions Cup ...Middle East

LOS ANGELES — If there was suspense to be found during Tuesday night’s return leg in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup at BMO Stadium, it had nothing to do with the outcome.

After thrashing Real España by five goals on the Honduran club’s home field last week, the Los Angeles Football Club had virtually no chance of missing next month’s Round of 16.

Playing before an announced crowd of 10,491 in its 2026 BMO Stadium debut, LAFC officially moved through to the next stage of the continental tournament, winning 1-0 (7-1 on aggregate), courtesy of defender Nkosi Tafari’s first-ever goal for the club near the 1-hour mark.

The only unsettled matter coming into the contest centered on whether or not LAFC’s stars – Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga, who combined for four goals and four assists in the first leg – would play during a stretch of four games in 12 days to begin the season.

And if so, why?

Rotating seven of the 11 players he used in both of the club’s two matches, LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos opted to include Son and Bouanga on the team from the kickoff.

Despite the participating powerhouse duo, LAFC could not engineer anything of note for much of the first 45 minutes.

LAFC did not take its first shot on goal until nearly a half-hour into the match when Swedish newcomer Amin Boudri, in his debut for the Black & Gold, set up Tyler Boyd, whose attempt was saved by España goalkeeper Luis Lopez, a member of LAFC’s expansion team in 2018.

Prior to the conclusion of the opening half, LAFC also forced Lopez into a diving save off the foot of Canadian midfielder Ryan Raposo.

Starting alongside Son, Bouanga, Stephen Eustáquio and Nkosi Tafari, Dos Santos went with goalkeeper Thomas Hasal; defenders Kenny Nielsen and Ryan Hollingshead; midfielders Raposo, Boudri, Mathieu Choiniere; and forward Tyler Boyd.

España’s best opportunity occurred at the half-hour mark when an errant pass from Hasal prompted a bounced shot by Darixon Vuelto, one of three alterations to the visitors’ lineup from last week.

Dos Santos removed Son, Bouanga and Eustáquio at halftime, leaving the bulk of the work to his bench, including 17-year-old Jude Terry who made his LAFC debut to start the second half.

Boudri, 21, acquitted himself well, growing into the game and creating several dangerous opportunities for himself and his teammates, who will face Costa Rican power LD Alajuelense in the Round of 16. The two-leg series begins March 10 at BMO Stadium, and wraps up a week later at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.

Three seasons ago, LAFC’s run to the 2023 Champions League final opened against Alajuelense. Winning 3-0 on the road thanks to a Bouanga hat-trick, LAFC held on in the second leg to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

Matching its start from 2023, this is the second time in nine seasons that LAFC came out victorious in its first three games. Next, the club heads to Houston for an MLS match against the Dynamo on Saturday.

More to come on this story.

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