One moment.
That was all it took for LAFC to save the night against Red Bull New York. Fittingly, that moment came from Denis Bouanga, as his strike from his off-foot position in stoppage time kept LAFC from falling behind in an increasingly competitive Western Conference race, and LAFC escaped with the 2-2 draw.
“The tie tonight is very important for our minds and confidence,” LAFC’s Timothy Tillman said. “It felt like we didn’t give away too many chances to New York so if we lost this game, it was going to be a tough night for all of us but we are happy with the tie in the end. We still wanted to win at home.”
Bouanga’s last-minute equalizer was actually his second of the match, as he scored earlier in the second half from the penalty spot, which was also an equalizer. Bouanga’s brace canceled out an LAFC own goal and a goal from RBNY’s top player, Emil Forsberg.
Trailing 2-1 deep into stoppage time and time running out, LAFC pressed on and found themselves deep in RBNY territory in the 95th minute. LAFC went short on a corner kick, Sergi Palencia crossed a ball into the penalty area and eventually found Bouanga’s feet. Bouanga took a couple of touches before finally seeing a sightline, and he fired a right-footed shot from just inside the penalty area that somehow slipped through the crowd of LAFC and RBNY players and past keeper Carlos Coronel into the back net to level the match for the last time.
“We will only remember the positive side of tonight,” Bouanga said. “We had a very strong team of New York; the team allowed me to score twice so that is a satisfaction. We also took two goals on corner kicks but overall we fought back and we manage to make it even – and that’s what I want to remember.”
Red Bull New York came out aggressive from the start. RBNY got a golden chance five minutes in, as Wiki Carmona sprung Lewis Morgan down the left side, Dante Vanzeir joined in from Morgan’s right, Morgan drew out keeper Hugo Lloris, and Morgan responded by playing a ball to the right, seemingly leaving Vanzeir with an open net chance at his near post, but LAFC defender Aaron Long did not give up on the play, as he got back just in time to block the shot, though he did pay a price on the play, as he rammed his lower right leg into the post, and eventually had to leave the match, with Eddie Segura subbing in for him. RBNY eventually cashed in on the ensuing corner, as John Tolkin sent the corner into the penalty area, and in a cruel twist of fate, the ball went off the head of Segura and into the back net for an LAFC own goal that staked LAFC out to the early lead.
RBNY took the lead into halftime, and kept it until the 67th minute until LAFC caught a break. Ryan Hollingshead played a ball into the penalty arc, Bouanga got a touch on the ball and tried to make a cutting move, but Sean Nealis collided with Bouanga in the box and referee Guido Gonzales Jr. gave the signal for the penalty. VAR was instituted to determine if indeed the foul did occur or whether Bouanga exaggerated the fall, but in the end, the call stood, and Bouanga went right on the penalty to even the score. RBNY however had its own response, and it came in the 81st minute, as Dylan Nealis sent a corner kick into the penalty area and Forsberg buried the shot near post to put RBNY back in front.
LAFC
MLS
