LAFC Come Back From Two Goals Down to Draw the Galaxy and Lock Up a Playoff Berth
BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, Los Angeles County, California, hosted a classic Los Angeles derby on the evening of October 25. In Major League Soccer (MLS) regular-season play, LAFC came back from two goals down to draw crosstown rivals the LA Galaxy 2-2, and the point secured LAFC a berth in the 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs ahead of schedule.
In the first half, Ghana international Joseph Paintsil scored twice to give the Galaxy a two-goal lead and silence the home crowd. The match turned after halftime: LAFC's top scorer Denis Bouanga scored his 18th goal of the season in the 53rd minute, and nine minutes later Leo Walta equalized off an assist from Son Heung-min.
Son's assist total reached 15 on the season, tied for the league lead with Inter Miami's Lionel Messi and FC Cincinnati's Evander. LAFC interim head coach Xavi Tamarit said after the match that the whole team fought with everything for the playoff berth and that he was proud of the players' fight in adversity. Captain Aaron Long said some draws feel better than wins. The derby also gave LAFC confidence for its playoff run.
Source: GSM · USA (original Chinese edition)
Photo: 图：洛杉矶FC主场BMO体育场。图：Quintin Soloviev，CC BY 4.0，经维基共享资源。 / Photo: BMO Stadium, home of Los Angeles FC. Photo: Quintin Soloviev, CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons.
