LAFC fell to the Seattle Sounders, 2-1, at Lumen Field in Seattle on Saturday night. The Black & Gold finishes its regular season in sixth place in the Western Conference (12W-11L-11D, 47 points) and will face third-place St. Louis CITY SC in a Round One Best-of-3 series, which starts on Nov. 20 or Nov. 21. LAFC will host Game 2 of that series at BMO Stadium on the weekend of Friday, Nov. 27. Details and kickoff times for that series will be announced on Sunday.
Seattle, fighting for one of the Western Conference’s final playoff spots on MLS Decision Day, began the scoring in the opening minute, when a misplayed pass deep in LAFC’s half fell to Cristian Roldan, whose cut-back pass was finished by Albert Rusnák to put the Sounders ahead 1-0.
LAFC created numerous chances early, including a transition surge by Armindo Sieb in the 25th minute which led to a close-range save of a Son Heung-Min shot by Seattle goalkeeper Andrew Thomas, and a follow-up effort from Sieb that went just wide.
Seattle added to its lead in the 31st minute, when a deflected shot by Sebastian Gomez swerved past LAFC goalkeeper Cabral Carter and in, making the score 2-0 headed into halftime.
Thomas came up big again for the Sounders in the 55th minute, saving a one-v-one effort from Son near the six-yard box. After controlling most of the second half, LAFC scored in the 82nd minute when a looping free kick by Leo Walta was met at the byline by the head of a leaping Ryan Porteous, whose effort placed the ball at the goalmouth where fellow centerback Eddie Segura outleapt Seattle’s defenders to head it past Thomas, making the score 2-1.
Despite several late pushes for the equalizer, LAFC was kept out of Seattle’s net by Thomas, earning the Sounders the three points and a last-minute, Decision Day spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs.
Up next for LAFC is a two-week FIFA international break ahead of the club’s Round One Best-of-3 playoff series, which begins on Nov. 20 or Nov. 21. LAFC will host Game 2 of that series at BMO Stadium on the weekend of Fri., Nov. 27.
NOTES
- With the loss, LAFC finishes its 2026 regular season at 12W-11L-11D for 47 points, and 18W-12L-15D in all competitions. LAFC went 3W-7L-7D in regular-season play away from home.Â
- LAFC is 1W-2L-3D since interim head coach Xavi Tamarit took charge on Oct. 1. LAFC has scored nine goals in those six matches, and conceded 10.
- LAFC outshot Seattle 24-5 on the evening, including an 8-3 advantage in shots on target. This was the seventh time this season that LAFC has had 20 or more shots in a game. The club is just 1W-4L-2D in those contests.
- LAFC’s 47 points this season are the second-fewest points in the club’s eight full seasons (discounting the COVID-shortened 2020 season). LAFC’s 2021 squad, the only Black & Gold side that did not make the MLS Cup Playoffs, finished with 45 points.Â
- The 52 goals LAFC scored this season are the fewest it has scored over its eight full seasons. The 2021 team scored 53 goals.
- LAFC’s 12 wins in 2026 are tied for the fewest in its eight full seasons (2021).
- LAFC is one of just four MLS clubs to make the MLS Cup Playoffs in eight of the last nine seasons (2018-2026), and the youngest club among those four teams (LAFC, Seattle, Real Salt Lake, Philadelphia). Philadelphia Union is the second-youngest, having joined MLS in 2010.
