Recap | LAFC 1 (5) - 1 (4) Chivas de Guadalajara - Leagues Cup 2026 - Phase One

LAFC opened its Leagues Cup 2026 campaign with a 5-4 penalty shootout win over Chivas Guadalajara following a 1-1 draw in 90 minutes at BMO Stadium on Wednesday night. Denis Bouanga scored the only goal for LAFC, his 14th all-time in the competition to move back into a tie with Lionel Messi for the most in Leagues Cup history, while Jude Terry converted the deciding penalty to give the Black & Gold two points.

In an open and entertaining first half that saw both teams create chances, it was LAFC that went in front in the 38th minute thanks to Bouanga’s goal. Timothy Tillman started the attacking sequence, spraying a long pass down the right wing to David Martínez. The Venezuelan international faced up his defender before quickly cutting the ball onto his left foot and crossing it into the center of the box for Bouanga, whose right-footed volley found the back of the net, giving LAFC a 1-0 advantage.

The lead would only last four minutes before Chivas equalized with a goal from Mexican international Roberto Alvarado. Bryan González collected the ball on the left wing before picking out the run of Alvarado, who hit a first time shot past the dive of Thomas Hasal and off the post into the net, tying the score at 1-1.

In the second half, both teams went close to breaking the deadlock with Fernando González striking the crossbar for Chivas and Son Heung-Min narrowly shooting wide with a free kick. However, neither side was able to find a winner as Hasal finished the game with seven saves for LAFC while Chivas goalkeeper Raúl Rangel finished with four.

The first-ever meeting between the two sides went to penalties, and each team scored four of its first five attempts before Hasal saved Luis Romo’s sixth round spot kick, giving LAFC a chance to clinch a win on its sixth attempt. Jude Terry stepped up to take the deciding penalty, and the 17-year-old calmly placed his shot past Rangel to win the shootout for the home side.

The Black & Gold will return to Leagues Cup action on Saturday, August 8, when the club takes on Toluca at BMO Stadium in a rematch of the clubs’ Concacaf Champions Cup semifinal series from earlier this year. That match is scheduled to kick off at 8:20 p.m. PT and will be broadcast on Apple TV, FS1, and Univision. Local radio coverage will be available on 710 AM ESPN, the ESPN LA app (English), 980 AM La Mera Mera (Spanish), and KYPA 1230 AM (Korean).

NOTES

LAFC is now 8W-2L-4D all-time in Leagues Cup, including a 7-0-4 mark at BMO Stadium.

In all competitions this year, LAFC is now 15-6-7. The club is 10-5-4 in MLS, went 5-1-2 in the Concacaf Champions Cup and now has a 0-0-1 record in Leagues Cup.

LAFC is unbeaten in its last six games in all competitions dating back to a 1-0 win over Seattle prior to the FIFA World Cup break on May 24.

Playing in Leagues Cup for the fourth consecutive year, LAFC is now 3-1-3 against Liga MX sides in the competition.

This was the fourth time that LAFC has gone to penalties in Leagues Cup, winning two of the resulting shootouts while also losing two.

At home this year, LAFC is 10-2-3 in all competitions, including a 2-0-1 mark against Mexican sides.

LAFC is now 14-0-2 in all competitions when scoring first.

Denis Bouanga’s first-half goal was his 14th all-time in Leagues Cup. He is tied with Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi for the most in the competition’s history.

Bouanga now has a goal or an assist in all five games that LAFC has played since returning from the FIFA World Cup, tallying five goals and two assists in that time.

He now has 17 goals in 26 games in all competitions for LAFC this year.

Bouanga has a goal or an assist in 11 of the 13 Leagues Cup games that he has played in with LAFC, tallying 14 goals and six assists in the tournament.

David Martínez was credited with the assist on Bouanga’s goal. LAFC’s leading scorer in Leagues Cup last year with three goals, this was his first assist in Leagues Cup since July 2024.