After a month that saw the team enjoy home field advantage for a spell, LAFC hit the road in what is the first of three-straight matches away from Los Angeles. Form on the road this season, across all competitions, has left plenty to be desired. As the team hit a very crucial stretch in the season, they will need to find ways to get wins away from home if they hope to improve their postseason standings, or make a run come playoff time. With a new superstar joining the ranks, the team traveled to Chicago to take on the Fire, in a match that ended with both sides splitting the points.
We leave Chicago with a point.#CHIvLAFC pic.twitter.com/FNbCxBQcto
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 10, 2025
The sides wasted no time in getting the party started early. It was the home side Chicago Fire who struck first, scoring the opening goal in the first 15 minutes of the match. In the 11th minute, the Fire took advantage of a corner kick they had earned. They have been great at set pieces this season, while LAFC have notoriously been awful at defending them this year. That combination led to the expected result that saw Chicago center back Carlos Teran get his head on a ball that was sent in perfectly. The nudge crept its way into the net side of the far post, out of the reach of Lloris and into the back for the lead early.
Carlos Terán gives Chicago the early advantage from the corner. 😯
📺 #MLSSeasonPass: https://t.co/WdWWeXyofn pic.twitter.com/lzY3J58D0X
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 10, 2025
In a little game of anything you can do, I can do better, LAFC didn’t waste much time to give their response. Just minutes later, they themselves earned a corner and while they haven’t been as good as the Fire with those chances, they made this one count. A ball with some pace on it was sent into the box, and it was LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead who climbed the ladder, and got his head on the ball. Not a nudge on this one, but an effort that saw the ball buzz under the crossbar and out of the reach of Chicago keeper Chris Brady.
HollingsheadER 👨🏻
Ryan Hollingshead rises and scores off the corner kick to draw us level.#CHIvLAFC 1-1 https://t.co/9SyiZB5L7G pic.twitter.com/0kXr6o2AKo
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 10, 2025
The first half was a pretty even affair. Both sides finished with three shots, possession didn’t skew one way more than the other, and importantly, both sides found a goal via corner kicks. It shouldn’t be a surprise to know the second half was just about the exact same. While it wasn’t early in the half, it was Chicago who got the first goal of the second half. In the 70th minute, some solid passing was able to break down the LAFC defense just enough for Chicago to get forward Jonathan Bamba the ball. While he got the ball at a difficult angle, he didn’t hesitate or give the defense a chance to close down on him, as he sent in an absolute rocket shot that scorched past Lloris and found its way into the back of the net, though it was surprising not to see it fly through the net with the pace it was sent at.
Jonathan Bamba smashes it! 💥
Chicago lead LAFC 2-1. pic.twitter.com/FWnyvQHynx
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) August 10, 2025
Again, it wasn’t long before LA gave their response, with a little help. In the 80th minute they were awarded a penalty, giving them the best chance of the night and with time winding down, it looked like it would be their only chance to find an equalizer on the road. None other than Denis Bouanga stepped up to the spot, and as calm as you like, he sent the ball past Brady to even up proceedings and give his team the point away from home.
Denis Bouanga with power from the spot 🚀 https://t.co/dO3zCFYzYN pic.twitter.com/Y16n4DDHG6
— LAFC (@LAFC) August 10, 2025
While it wasn’t a loss, the draw makes it three draws in five matches for LAFC. This also makes it another draw against a team that, in all honesty, they really should have been able to take all three points off of. While they sit in fifth in the West, they aren’t comfortably on the other side of the playoff line. A run from a team below them, or too many draws could see them fighting for their lives come end of season. That said, it wasn’t a loss, which is good. The team will have plenty of opportunities to fix their form on the road, as they still have five of their next seven matches away from Los Angeles. Next up, New England Revs, the Eastern Conference side that remains one of the few teams that has yet to come away with a win over LAFC, having lost the last time these two played in 2023.
Thoughts on the draw in Chicago? Leave a comment below!