LAFC moved on to the Leagues Cup 2024 Round of 16 with a 2-0 win over Austin FC on Wednesday night at BMO Stadium. Denis Bouanga and Cristian Olivera scored on either side of halftime while Hugo Lloris made five saves for his second Leagues Cup shutout in as many appearances.
Bouanga opened the scoring in the 11th minute against the run of play. LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris saved a shot from Mikkel Desler and quickly punted the ball forward over an Austin defender and into the path of Bouanga, who was racing up the left wing. Bouanga outran the Austin defense and fired a low, right-footed shot past Austin FC goalkeeper Brad Stuver to give LAFC a 1-0 advantage.
The score would stay that way until just after the hour mark when Cristian Olivera, a halftime substitute, doubled the lead for LAFC. Bouanga started the attack near midfield before playing a pass forward to Mateusz Bogusz. Bogusz cut inside off the left wing and threaded a pass into the box for Olivera, who took one touch before hitting a right-footed shot that was deflected past Stuver to give the home side the 2-0 lead.
LAFC next hosts the winner of Thursday night’s game between the San Jose Earthquakes and Liga MX’s Club Necaxa on Tuesday, Aug. 13, at BMO Stadium.
NEWS & NOTES
- With the win, LAFC is now 19-5-6 in all competitions in 2024. The club is 14-5-5 in MLS play, 3-0-0 in the U.S. Open Cup and 2-0-1 in Leagues Cup.
- At BMO Stadium, LAFC is 13-1-4 in 2024, keeping a clean sheet in nine of those 18 games.
- LAFC is now 7-2-1 in 10 all-time meetings with Austin FC.
- Dating back to the 2022 Western Conference Championship, LAFC is 4-0-1 in the last five games between the two sides, with LAFC outscoring the Texas club 13-3.
- LAFC is 4-1-1 all-time in Leagues Cup, including 4-0-1 at BMO Stadium. In those five games, LAFC has outscored its opponents 18-3.
- In six all-time Leagues Cup games, Denis Bouanga has eight goals and six assists. He has registered a goal or an assist in all six of those matches.
- Bouanga has scored or assisted on 14 of the 20 goals that LAFC has scored all-time in Leagues Cup.
- In 2024, Bouanga has 18 goals and 14 assists in all competitions for LAFC, giving him 32 goal involvements on the year. He has either scored or assisted on half of the 64 goals that LAFC has scored in all competitions in 2024.
- Hugo Lloris was credited with an assist on Bouanga’s goal. That was his first assist in an LAFC shirt, and his first for any team since May 2, 2010, when he helped Lyon to a 1-0 win over Montpellier in the French Ligue 1.
- Cristian Olivera, who replaced David Martínez at halftime, scored his team-best third Leagues Cup goal of 2024 in the 51st minute.
- Olivera is also LAFC’s top scorer in U.S. Open Cup play in 2024, with three goals. His 11 goals in all competitions rank third on the club.
- Hugo Lloris made five saves for his second shutout in the competition and 11th on the year for LAFC.
- Eduard Atuesta and David Martínez each started their first Leagues Cup game of the year.
