LAFC picked up a point and moved to within four points of first place in the Western Conference with a 0-0 draw on the road against the Houston Dynamo on Saturday night. Playing without seven first-team regulars, including four players - Mateusz Bogusz, Denis Bouanga, David Martinez, and Cristian Olivera - who have scored 35 of the club’s 48 goals this season, LAFC was able to improve to 14-6-6 on the season for 48 points.
It appeared that LAFC had taken the lead just before halftime when Ryan Hollingshead beat Houston goalkeeper Steve Clark off a pass from Olivier Giroud, but the French striker was whistled for offside in the buildup to the goal, keeping the game scoreless.
LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, the only LAFC player to start all 26 of the club’s regular-season matches, made four saves on the night to record his 10th shutout of the season, becoming the first goalkeeper in MLS to record 10 or more shutouts in 2024.
LAFC next turns its attention the third El Traffico of the season on Saturday, Sept. 14 down in Carson. That match between the Western Conference's first- and second-placed teams will kick off at 7:30 p.m. PT.
NEWS & NOTES
- With the draw, LAFC is 14-6-6 in the league this season for 48 points.
- The draw extends LAFC’s road unbeaten streak in the league to seven games. The club is 5-0-2 away from BMO Stadium since May 4. Five of LAFC’s final eight regular-season games will be played on the road. On the season, LAFC is 5-4-3 in 12 regular-season road games.
- LAFC was forced to make four changes from the team that lost 2-0 to Houston at BMO Stadium with Mateusz Bogusz, Denis Bouanga, Maxime Chanot, and Cristian Olivera all away on international duty. They were replaced by Eduard Atuesta, Olivier Giroud, Kei Kamara, and Timothy Tillman.
- In addition to those four, the club was also without defenders Omar Campos and Jesús Murillo, as well as midfielder David Martínez. Campos and Martínez were each on international duty while Murillo missed his third straight game since being injured in the Leagues Cup Final on August 25.
- With the trio of Olivier Giroud, Kei Kamara, and Hugo Lloris all starting, LAFC became the first team in MLS history to start three players aged 37 or older in an MLS regular-season game.
- The forward combination of Giroud and Kamara started for LAFC, marking the first time since the end of the 2018 MLS season that a team started two field players that were 37 or older.
- Kamara, who turned 40 on Sunday, became just the 10th player in MLS history to appear in a game at the age of 40 or older. Of those 10, only four were not goalkeepers, and of those four, Kamara is the first 40-year old to play in a game since the start of the 2010 MLS season
- Hugo Lloris recorded his 10th shutout in 26 regular-season games this season. He is the first goalkeeper in MLS to record 10 or more shutouts this season.
- LAFC’s 10 regular-season shutouts this season are one shy of the club record of 11, which was set last season.
- Only Tyler Miller (19) and Maxime Crepeau (11) have more shutouts in MLS regular-season games for LAFC than Lloris.
- In 2024, LAFC has played 37 games in all competitions, recording 15 shutouts. Lloris has been in goal for 14 of those.
- This was just the fifth time in 37 games in all competitions this year that LAFC has been held scoreless.
- The quartet of Mateusz Bogusz, Denis Bouanga, David Martínez, and Cristian Olivera were away on international duty, meaning that the players who scored 73% of LAFC’s regular-season goals this year were not available. Only five players - Eduard Atuesta, Ryan Hollingshead, Kei Kamara, Nathan Ordaz and Timothy Tillman - who have scored for LAFC this season appeared in tonight’s game. Those five have a combined 11 goals on the season.
- Eddie Segura appeared in his 104th game all-time for LAFC, moving him into a tie for fifth place in club history with Diego Rossi.
