LAFC and LD Alajuelense End in 1-1 Draw
LAFC played LD Alajuelense to a 1-1 draw in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 on March 10, 2026, at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. The match featured a significant disparity in shots, with LAFC outshooting Alajuelense 28-4.
Alejandro Bran opened the scoring for Alajuelense in the 44th minute, marking the end of LAFC’s impressive streak of 443 minutes without conceding a goal. Denis Bouanga equalized for LAFC in the 56th minute, bringing his total to four goals in the 2026 Champions Cup, making him the top scorer in the competition.
Despite dominating possession and shots on goal—11 for LAFC compared to just 3 for Alajuelense—the match ended in a draw. LAFC’s head coach, Marc Dos Santos, expressed confidence, stating, “Draws like this, nine out of 10 times we’re going to win games like that.”
Ryan Hollingshead, a player for LAFC, acknowledged Alajuelense’s effort, saying, “I don’t want to not give [Alajuelense] credit. I think they worked really hard. They created nothing.” He also emphasized the importance of the upcoming second leg, noting, “This isn’t time to sound the alarm. We knew going into this that it was 180 minutes. We’re tied and now we gotta go get a result in Costa Rica.”
LAFC remains unbeaten in 2026, holding a record of 5-0-1, and is 2-0-1 in the Champions Cup and 3-0-0 in MLS this year. Historically, LAFC has qualified for Concacaf play four times and has a strong home record of 7-2-1 in Concacaf competitions.
Looking ahead, LAFC will face Alajuelense again in the second leg on March 17, 2026, in Costa Rica. Details remain unconfirmed regarding the lineup and conditions for that match.
