LAFC Outlasts Pachuca in Penalty Shootout After Fiery 1–1 Draw

A tense 90 minutes wasn’t enough. For the second straight Leagues Cup match, LAFC went to penalties — but this time, they came out on top.

Denis Bouanga opened the scoring early, capitalizing on a mistake from Pachuca in the 10th minute. After a quick interception near midfield by Mark Delgado, he found Nathan Ordaz, who threaded a perfectly timed pass to Bouanga on the left. LAFC’s all-time Leagues Cup leading scorer did the rest, slicing inside before slotting his shot past Carlos Moreno at the near post.

That early momentum came to a halt in the 29th minute when Ordaz was shown a red card after a video review for an off-ball elbow. Down to 10 men, LAFC conceded just three minutes later — a low, deflected shot from Elías Montiel snuck through the box and inside the post, leveling the score at 1–1.

From there, Pachuca controlled possession but couldn’t find a breakthrough. LAFC made key second-half adjustments, and Thomas Hasal stood tall in his Leagues Cup debut. The Canadian keeper made a full-stretch save in the 56th minute and commanded his area well down the stretch.

The match turned chippy in the 83rd minute when Pachuca’s Jhonder Cádiz was shown a straight red after video review for a reckless bicycle kick attempt that caught Nkosi Tafari in the head. Back on level terms, LAFC nearly stole a winner minutes later — but Mark Delgado’s finish was called back for offside after a deflected Bouanga cross.

At full time, it was 1–1. But unlike the chaotic shootout loss to Mazatlán earlier in the week, this time LAFC delivered from the spot.

Bouanga, Delgado, Palencia, and Segura all converted their penalties. Hasal added two more stops to his highlight reel, denying Lopez and Bautista to seal a 4–2 shootout win.

With the result, LAFC currently sits 11th in the overall Leagues Cup standings with three points. They wrap up Phase One of the tournament on Tuesday, August 5, when they host Liga MX powerhouse Tigres at BMO Stadium. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. PT.