Los Angeles, CA — LAFC returned to winning ways on Saturday night, defeating the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1 at BMO Stadium to snap a two-game MLS losing streak. The victory was fueled by goals from Sergi Palencia—his first in Major League Soccer—and Denis Bouanga, who netted his first league goal of the 2025 campaign.
The win lifts LAFC to a 4-4-0 record (12 points) on the season, placing them sixth in the Western Conference. It also marked the club’s third home victory in four league games this year.
After a scoreless but competitive first half, LAFC broke through in the 65th minute. Bouanga fired a shot from the left side that San Jose keeper Earl Edwards Jr. could only parry. The rebound landed at the feet of Palencia, who calmly drilled a right-footed shot from the top of the box into the back of the net. Not only was it his first goal in Black & Gold—it was also the first top-flight goal of the Spanish defender’s professional career.
The hosts added to their lead in the 86th minute. Timothy Tillman pounced on a poor San Jose clearance and quickly slipped the ball to Olivier Giroud. Though Giroud’s long-range effort was denied by a diving save from Edwards, Bouanga reacted first to the loose ball, slotting it home from a tight angle to double LAFC’s advantage.
San Jose managed to pull one back deep into stoppage time. Cristian Espinoza’s left-footed shot took a deflection in the box and found its way past LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, cutting the lead to 2-1. But the Earthquakes ran out of time, and LAFC held firm to secure all three points.
Match Notes:
- LAFC improved to 4-4-0 in league play and 7-7-0 across all competitions this year, including a 3-3-0 showing in the Concacaf Champions Cup.
- Saturday’s result brought LAFC’s 2025 home record to 6-1-0 overall, with this being the first of those wins that didn’t end in a shutout.
- LAFC’s dominance over San Jose at home continued, with the Black & Gold now boasting a 10-1-1 record against the Earthquakes at BMO Stadium and a 12-7-1 mark overall in the all-time series.
- Veteran defender Ryan Hollingshead reached a milestone, making his 100th MLS regular-season appearance for LAFC—the ninth player in club history to do so.
- Palencia’s goal marked a personal milestone, while Bouanga ended his longest MLS scoring drought—a six-match run without a goal. It was his fourth goal in all competitions this season and his 17th game-winner in league play for LAFC, trailing only Carlos Vela (19).
- Bouanga has now scored five times in seven regular-season appearances against San Jose.
- When scoring first in 2025, LAFC is now 7-1-0 across all competitions; when conceding first, they’re 0-6-0.
- Defender Maxime Chanot made his long-awaited 2025 debut after missing the first 13 games due to injury. He had been on the bench for the previous three league games before finally seeing action.
- Homegrown midfielder Adrian Wibowo also made his BMO Stadium debut, coming on late in the second half.
Up Next: LAFC hits the road for a showdown with the Portland Timbers on Saturday, April 19, at Providence Park. Kickoff is set for 7:15 p.m. PT. The match will be broadcast on MLS Season Pass via Apple TV, with radio coverage on 710 AM ESPN and 980 AM La Mera Mera.
