LAFC shuts out Real España, advances in CONCACAF Champions Cup

LOS ANGELES — If there was any suspense during Tuesday night’s return leg in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup at BMO Stadium, it had nothing to do with the outcome.

After thrashing Real España by five goals on the Honduran club’s home field last week, the Los Angeles Football Club was nearly guaranteed to advance to the next stage of the continental tournament.

Playing in front of an announced crowd of 10,491 in the club’s 2026 BMO Stadium debut, LAFC officially moved through, winning 1-0 (7-1 aggregate) thanks to defender Nkosi Tafari’s first goal with the Black & Gold near the 1-hour mark.

Tafari’s game-winner in the 64th minute came deep inside the box when he pounced on a loose ball following a saved shot off an LAFC free kick.

The only unsettled matter coming into the contest centered on whether or not LAFC stars Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga, who combined for four goals and three assists in the first leg, would play with the team navigating a stretch of four games over 12 days.

Rotating seven of the 11 players he used in each of the club’s two previous matches, LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos opted to call on the dynamic duo from the opening kickoff.

The reason?

“Rhythm,” Dos Santos said.

With Son continuing to build up to full strength coming off a slow preseason, Dos Santos felt it was important that both stars got more time together. He informed them that they would start and be taken off at halftime, and they understood. Despite their presence, LAFC did not engineer many quality chances for at least an hour.

LAFC did not take its first shot on goal until 30 minutes into the match when Swedish newcomer Amin Boudri debuted and set up Tyler Boyd, whose attempt was saved by España goalkeeper Luis Lopez, a member of LAFC’s expansion team in 2018.

Prior to the end of the first half, LAFC also forced Lopez into a diving save off the foot of Canadian midfielder Ryan Raposo.

Starting alongside Son, Bouanga, Tafari and midfielder Stephen Eustáquio, Dos Santos looked to his bench and inserted goalkeeper Thomas Hasal; defenders Kenny Nielsen and Ryan Hollingshead; midfielders Raposo, Boudri, Mathieu Choiniere; and forward Tyler Boyd.

España’s best opportunity in the run of play occurred near the half-hour mark when an errant pass from Hasal prompted a bounced shot by Darixon Vuelto, one of three alterations to the visitors’ lineup from last week.

“We needed to show how big is our heart,” España head coach Jeaustin Campos said. “It doesn’t matter the score in the series. We need to believe that we’re competitive. We can play in different conditions. We cannot compare with L.A., but in different conditions we can compete.”

The Hondurans had a chance to tie the score late when Nielsen spun down an opposing player in the box and was called for a foul. Hasal, however, stood up to the task, denying the penalty attempt with a diving save to Nielsen’s great relief.

“These games for me are like gold because I don’t get a whole lot of opportunities with the depth that we have here,” Nielsen said. “I treat these games like my World Cups.”

Dos Santos removed Son, Bouanga and Eustáquio after 45 minutes as planned, leaving the outcome in the hands of his bench, including 17-year-old homegrown Jude Terry, whose first LAFC appearance manifested at the start of the second half.

“It was fun,” said Terry, a native of Chula Vista. “Obviously it’s a good game to get in. They had the confidence to put me in when it was 0-0. And to have that confidence, it’s a good feeling for me and a good feeling for the team to play in that game.”

Boudri, 21, also acquitted himself well, growing into the game by creating several dangerous opportunities for himself and his teammates, who will meet Costa Rican power LD Alajuelense in the Round of 16 next month.

That two-leg series commences on March 10 at BMO Stadium, and wraps up a week later at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto.

Three seasons ago, LAFC’s run to the 2023 Champions League final began at Alajuelense. Winning 3-0 thanks to a Bouanga hat trick, LAFC held on at home in the second leg to advance 4-2 on aggregate.

Matching its quick start from 2023, this is the second time in nine seasons that LAFC won its first three games.

After sweeping España and taking an emotional victory over defending MLS Cup champion Inter Miami in front of 75,000 fans at the Coliseum, LAFC visits Houston for a league match on Saturday having outscored the opposition 10-1.

“It’s been a good start because it was a hard start,” Dos Santos said. “But still so much work to do. We’re very focused on what’s next.”