PORTLAND, Ore. — In a thrilling encounter at Providence Park, Denis Bouanga skillfully executed a penalty kick in the closing moments to secure a dramatic 3-3 draw for LAFC against the Portland Timbers on Saturday night.
Felipe Mora was in fine form for the Timbers, netting two goals as they extended their unbeaten streak to six matches. The Portland team hasn’t faced defeat since March 8 in their clash against Nashville.
Adding to the excitement, Olivier Giroud marked a milestone by scoring his inaugural league goal for LAFC. However, the evening took a contentious turn when Los Angeles coach Steve Cherundolo was shown a red card during the second half.
Just a day prior, Cherundolo made a notable announcement about his plans to depart the team at the conclusion of the 2025 season. As he wraps up his fourth year with LAFC, he shared his intent to relocate with his family back to Germany, where he spent his professional career as a player. Cherundolo notably guided LAFC to an MLS Cup championship in 2022.
Right from the start, LAFC seemed poised to score as early as the second minute, only for the goal to be disallowed due to an offside infraction. Taking advantage, Portland grabbed the lead in the ninth minute when Mora successfully converted a penalty kick after LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Loris fouled him inside the box.
In an unfortunate turn for LAFC, they faced another setback when an apparent goal was once again ruled offside.
As the game approached halftime, Portland widened their lead to 2-0 in the 42nd minute, courtesy of Santiago Moreno’s precise strike from the center of the box, which slipped past both Loris and defender Sergi Palencia.
However, LAFC responded before the break with Giroud delivering a stunning goal from a free kick just outside the penalty area. The jubilant Frenchman then expressed his emotional connection to the moment by kneeling and pointing skyward with both hands.
The intensity of the match persisted as LAFC managed to equalize with a goal from David Martínez in the 62nd minute, only to have Mora once again tip the balance in Portland’s favor with a well-placed header two minutes later.
In another bright spot for Portland, Jonathan Rodriguez made his much-anticipated seasonal debut as a second-half substitute after recovering from a knee injury that had kept him on the sidelines.