With a win now under their belts, LAFC are set to start a road trip that will see them play away from Los Angeles until early October. First stop on the trip, a visit to take on Sporting KC, a team that has struggled against the black & gold in recent years, providing the team with a big chance to come away not only with three points, but kickstarting a possible win streak.
The Starting XI for #SKCvLAFC#LAFC | @BMO_US pic.twitter.com/mGZ9Kj9jan
— LAFC (@LAFC) September 12, 2026
Despite being the heavy underdogs for the match, it was the home side that struck first and in a big way. It took 19 minutes, but Sporting KC were able to put together a nice attack that ended with midfielder André Luiz who put a move on the LAFC defense, freed up space, and struck the shot pure, sending the pall in the corner where Lloris couldn’t reach, giving the home side the lead early.
OH MY ANDRÉ LUIZ! 😮💨
His first MLS goal gives @SportingKC the lead!
📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/GmNnEFF3Ch pic.twitter.com/2yrdAskN4a
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026
Getting the first goal injected a ton of confidence in the home side, who kept up the pressure. Sporting weren’t necessarily finding threatening looks at goal, but they were coming closer and closer to making something happen as LAFC desperately defended in an attempt to regain some control of the match on the road. Sporting doubled their lead in the 31st minute, behind a huge effort from striker Taylor Calheira. A ball into the box was sent far post where it awkwardly bounced off a couple of heads before finding its way close to the goal where Calheira helped it past the line to double the lead for his side.
Right place, right time for Taylor Calheira!@SportingKC double their lead! ✌️ pic.twitter.com/AJ982thvRk
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026
The best chance of the half for LAFC came in the 42nd minute behind a chance from Denis Bouanga, that was ultimately saved by the SKC keeper to keep the black & gold scoreless through 45 minutes of play. The first half whistle blew and one of the more shocking results in MLS this season, was taking shape. Going into the break, LAFC were undoubtedly feeling the pressure, needing a massive second half just to salvage a point on the road.
Head Coach Marc Dos Santos made some big moves at the half, taking off youngster Jude Terry in favor of Jacob Shaffelburg, who wasted no time in making his presence felt. Just minutes into the second half LAFC were on the attack and striking fast. A great pass left Shaffelburg open on the wings and he put a great ball into the box that crossed the front of goal and found Denis Bouanga waiting on the other side for the tap-in. The goal cut the deficit in half and gave the Gabonese forward some history as the goal put him level with LAFC legend Carlos Vela, for most goals scored for the club in the MLS regular season.
Bouanga puts us on the goal sheet 🎯 https://t.co/aSVhond6xx pic.twitter.com/MiM2ZPU2Fj
— LAFC (@LAFC) September 13, 2026
Bouanga was in his Kobe bag to start the second half, with the team just putting the pressure on, feeding Denis up top to give him a chance to equalize. In the first 10 minutes of the second half Bouanga not only had the goal, he followed it up with three really close chances that nearly saw him bag an equalizer. Despite conceding early in the half and having their backs against the wall, SKC stayed calm and were patient, and in the 71st minute they extended their lead. André Luiz took on several defenders while gliding into the box, his initial shot blocked by one of the four defenders around him. Unfortunately, the block rebounded right to the feet of SKC midfielder Jacob Bartlett who didn’t hesitate, got off a shot and sent it into the back of the net for the third goal of the night for the home side.
A beautiful finish from Jacob Barlett to give @SportingKC a 2-goal lead! 💫 pic.twitter.com/U8w7rjyPBl
— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026
With just under 15 minutes left in regulation, it looked like we were going to see one of, if not the biggest upset in MLS this season. The third goal seemed to take the wind out of the sails of the black & gold as they just couldn’t muster what was needed to score a second goal, let alone a third to save points. Even with a four minute stoppage time, the team didn’t have enough time to pull off the comeback. The final whistle blew and for the first time since 2021, Sporting KC got a win over LAFC, and it couldn’t have come at a worse time for Los Angeles. The loss puts them in fifth, out of home field advantage in the postseason, just a couple of points clear of several teams. Depending how the rest of this road trip go, LAFC could be going into October fighting just to make playoffs, but lets hope the team bounce-back in a big way next weekend when they take on San Jose Quakes.
Thoughts on the loss to SKC on the road? Let us know in the comments below!