The FIFA Club World Cup journey for LAFC has officially, come to an end. Unable to do enough to get past the group stages, Los Angeles were set to take on Flamengo in the final match for Group D, and what was their final match in the competition having already been eliminated with their loss to Espérance. While they didn’t have anything to play for in terms of continuing on in the tournament, there was plenty of pride on the line. This tournament had not gone as the club had hoped, both in terms of results and performances, but with one more match to play, they were looking to finish on a high note and show the world that this would be far from the last time they’d be on such a stage.
Fulltime from Orlando.#LAFCvFLA pic.twitter.com/RAonXIEcLl
— LAFC (@LAFC) June 25, 2025
Flamengo came into this match not only having already secured their spot in the knockout rounds of the tournament, but also coming in unbeaten in their last ten matches. Arguably one of the more in-form teams in the tournament at the moment, which provided the motivation on their end to not just roll over and play it easy. From kickoff, they came out like a team looking to prove a point. The first half was dominated by the Brazilian side. Flamengo kept nearly 70% possession in the first half, had 93% success on just over 300 passes, and put together nine shots, but only one found the target.
Luckily for LAFC they were able to withstand that intense pressure in the first half, and went into break even and scoreless. The team only managed two shots in the first half, but in the 36th minute it looked like they had gotten their first goal of the tournament and taken the lead. However, the effort was ruled offside in the build-up, something that plagued LAFC throughout the competition. Several times they looked like they had done enough to score, only to see the assistant lift their flag to signify offside.
🚫 NO GOAL!
LAFC thought they had the opener… but the flag’s up for offside!
Still 0-0 in Orlando! ⚖️
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #LAFFLA pic.twitter.com/5DrEQZokQy
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 25, 2025
Flamengo didn’t ease up on the pressure in the second half. For a spell, it looked like they would find their eventual winner, nearly finding the back of the net on several efforts. Hugo Lloris and the defense stood firm throughout the peppering and denied the Brazilian side for most of the second half. It took until 84 minutes into their third and final match, but LAFC finally found their goal. Who else, but Denis Bouanga, getting on the end of a pass that put him in prime position for the 1v1 with the goalkeeper, staying calm and slotting it past for the goal, and late lead. He will now front flip his way into more history as the goal was the first-ever LAFC goal in the Club World Cup. More importantly at the time, it put Los Angeles in the lead with just minutes left in the match.
⚽️ BOUANGA SCORES!@LAFC break through and take the lead! 💥🖤💛
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #LAFFLA pic.twitter.com/2unYlhYpM0
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 25, 2025
Unfortunately, Flamengo wasted no time in responding. Not even three minutes after taking the lead, LAFC watched as their defense had finally been broken down in the worst way possible. Wallace Yan waltzed right through the middle of the box, seemingly untouched, and without hesitation slammed the ball past Lloris for the equalizer.
A STRAIGHT WALK THROUGH THE MIDDLE!
Wallace Yan equalizes! 1-1
Watch the @FIFACWC | June 14 – July 13 | Every Game | Free | https://t.co/i0K4eUtwwb | #FIFACWC #TakeItToTheWorld #LAFFLA pic.twitter.com/yGe6CTagBn
— DAZN Football (@DAZNFootball) June 25, 2025
The match ended in a draw, which left both sides feeling disappointed. The Brazilian club had wanted a clean sweep of the group and couldn’t get the win despite tons of opportunities. Meanwhile, LAFC definitely felt disappointed at taking the lead late, and almost immediately losing that lead, letting their first-ever Club World Cup win slip from their grasps in what was really a microcosm of how they played throughout the tournament. “My team played in a very smart and intelligent fashion tonight” said LAFC Head Coach Steve Cherundolo when speaking to media after the match. “I was very happy with the performance. I think overall this tournament has been a great learning experience for us as an organization, but us as a team as well.”
Now that the tournament is over for the black & gold, they make the immediate shift to return to MLS play as they continue their domestic campaign. There is no rest for the wicked, as LAFC will be right back in action this weekend, taking on Western Conference best, Vancouver Whitecaps. This time, however, they do so from the comfort of BMO Stadium.
Thoughts on the team’s run in the Club World Cup? Leave a comment below!