ORLANDO, Fla. — In a dramatic end to a Club World Cup match, Flamengo managed to hold Los Angeles FC to a 1-1 draw late Tuesday evening. Wallace Yan netted a crucial goal for Flamengo in the 86th minute, equalizing just two minutes after Denis Bouanga had put Los Angeles ahead. Despite being already eliminated from the tournament, LA FC showed spirit until the very end.
Flamengo emerged victorious in Group D with a total of seven points, narrowly edging ahead of Chelsea. The match against Los Angeles marked the first time in this tournament’s Orlando history that a game concluded without any weather interruptions. It also attracted an impressive crowd, as 32,933 fans packed into the 60,219-capacity Camping World Stadium, setting a new attendance record for the venue.
The match’s key moment unfolded in the first half when Marlon appeared to score Los Angeles’ first goal of the tournament. However, the referee disallowed the goal due to an offside decision in the 38th minute, denying LA FC an early advantage.
Flamengo’s journey in the Club World Cup has been strong, with a decisive 3-1 victory over Chelsea securing their spot in the knockout rounds. Their next challenge will be against Bayern Munich in Miami Gardens, Florida, set for Sunday. LA FC, which clinched the Major League Soccer Western Conference title last year, finished the tournament with two losses and a draw, unable to advance beyond the group stage.
Reflecting on the match, LA FC coach Steve Cherundolo expressed his satisfaction with the team’s overall performance. “Overall, we’re quite happy. Of course, it stings right now but… our players will realize they can be proud of this performance,” he stated. On the other side, Flamengo’s coach Filipe Luís looked ahead to the upcoming challenges. “We had a great group stage. We achieved our objective in an early manner. Now we’re thinking about Bayern and nothing but Bayern,” he commented, anticipating their crucial knockout match.