LAFC2 clinched a spot in the 2026 MLS NEXT Pro Playoffs on Sunday with a dominant 5-1 victory over Sporting KC II at Victory Field at Swope Soccer Village in Kansas City, Missouri. The win moved the Black & Gold to 45 points and secured the club’s place in the postseason with one regular-season match remaining.
Marius Aiyenero opened the scoring in the 15th minute, finishing from the center of the box off an assist from Liam Lambert. Charlie Kosakoff doubled the advantage six minutes later with Lambert again providing the assist, before Tommy Mihalić made it 3-0 in the 40th minute off a setup from Sebastian Nava.
Sporting KC II pulled one back through Tega Ikoba in the 53rd minute, but LAFC2 put the match away with two late goals. Kosakoff headed home his second of the night in the 81st minute off a Mihalić assist, and Nava added the fifth three minutes later, finishing a pass from Kosakoff.
The Black & Gold finished with a 20-15 advantage in shots, including an 8-4 edge in shots on goal. Ethan Scally made two saves in goal as LAFC2 recorded its largest margin of victory this season. LAFC2 enters the final match of the regular season in fifth place in the Western Conference with an 11W-7L-9D record and 45 points. With a playoff berth secured, the Black & Gold can finish as high as fifth and no lower than seventh in the conference standings.
LAFC2 closes out the regular season on Sunday, September 20, when the club travels to face MNUFC2 at National Sports Center Stadium in Blaine, Minnesota. Kickoff is set for 2:00 p.m. PT, and the match will be available on MLSNEXTPro.com.
