LOS ANGELES — They expected gritty. They expected ugly. They hoped to stay perfect at home as the visiting New York Red Bulls put them to the test. The Los Angeles Football Club managed two out of the three, but despite not taking three points on Saturday night, Denis Bouanga’s second goal of the night, deep in stoppage time, salvaged a point and a 2-2 draw for the Black & Gold.
Facing one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference through the early portion of the season, LAFC (3-3-3, 12 points) suffered through the visitors’ vaunted pressing style in a match that produced eight combined shots on goal.
Of New York’s two attempts that could have gone in against Hugo Lloris, only one did when their Swedish Designated Player Emil Forsberg hit in a volley off a corner kick in the 81st minute for his second MLS goal.
The first goal of the night came after former Red Bulls defender Aaron Long’s reunion with them after leaving as a free agent last year was cut shorter than anyone would have wanted.
Five minutes in, one of the fastest players in MLS backtracked to cover forward Dante Vanzeir making a run at the far post while Lewis Morgan pushed a two-man break.
Instead of setting up a goal, Vanzeir, who came into the week tied for the most assists in the league, would have had a great chance at his second goal of the season had Long not caught up and gone to ground to disrupt Lewis’ cross. But in doing so the 6-foot-1, 190-pound center back’s left shin smashed squarely into the post.
Long grimaced in pain as he lay on the grass for a couple of minutes. After several of his former teammates checked on him, Long needed assistance on his way to the locker room. After the match, LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo said the American international should be fine.
With Maxime Chanot starting in place of Jesus Murillo, who was questionable and not included on the game day roster due to a knee issue, Cherundolo called on Eddie Segura to fill the hole in the middle of their defense.
Play resumed with a Red Bulls corner. Operating in the middle of the 6-yard box, the 27-year-old Segura inexplicably turned his header in the direction of Lloris, providing New York (4-1-4, 16 points) the lead without having recorded a shot on goal.
“I think chasing a game like that is difficult against a team that is excellent on the counter and excellent on set pieces,” Cherundolo said. “And we did it in a controlled manner without allowing too much, but also still being dangerous. I was quite happy with the performance from there on.”
Missing midfielder Eduard Atuesta due to yellow card accumulation, Cherundolo reconfigured the starting XI, dropping Mateusz Bogusz from the attack into his usual role with midfield.
Stepping into the No. 9 spot, Kei Kamara played 70 minutes in his first start with LAFC since joining the team on March 29.
“It’s going to take time until everybody gets used to him,” Cherundolo said. “That profile of player we haven’t had here. It’s night and day between him and Mati and how they play and what they’re looking for.”
The unfortunate own-goal held up until the 67th minute, when Bouanga converted a penalty he created by cutting back in the box against defender Sean Nealis. The play was upheld following a review as referee Guido Gonzales, Jr. conferred with VAR official Carol Anne Chenard.
Bouanga, one of the most prolific attackers in MLS when it comes to drawing penalties, said due to controversy that ensued after a foul in the box was called against the Galaxy he thinks that any time it happens the rest of the season that officials will probably take a closer look.
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His fifth goal of the year, a game-tying finish in the 95th minute, required no close inspection.
Corralling the ball inside the box after a short corner kick, Bouanga knew that time was dwindling, so he opted to hit it hard with his preferred right foot, intent on doing nothing more than putting the ball on frame.
The shot, one of five he took in the game, dipped past defender Noah Eile while fooling Red Bulls goaltender Carlos Miguel Coronel, who barely reacted.
The French winger’s multi-goal performance is his second of the season and seventh since joining MLS in the latter half of the 2022 season, placing him second behind Carlos Vela (13) for the most regular season matches with more than one finish for LAFC.
“We will only remember the positive side of tonight,” Bouanga said.
#99 in the 95th pic.twitter.com/kJ6XrP7MEJ
— LAFC (@LAFC) April 21, 2024
Denis does it again from the spot #LAFCvNYRB 1-1 pic.twitter.com/fhlsSAnpfF
— LAFC (@LAFC) April 21, 2024
