LAFC Advances to Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 with 7-1 Aggregate Victory over Real España
MLS Los Angeles FC

LAFC Advances to Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 with 7-1 Aggregate Victory over Real España

Published on February 25, 2026 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Los Angeles FC News Release


Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) advanced to the Round of 16 in the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup with a 7-1 aggregate-goal victory on Tuesday night after defeating Real España 1-0 at BMO Stadium in the second match of their two-leg, Round One series; the Black & Gold won the first leg 6-1 in Honduras a week ago. Defender Nkosi Tafari scored the only goal of the night in the 64th minute, his first for the Black & Gold since joining the club in January 2025.

After a scoreless first half, LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos brought on forward Nathan Ordaz along with midfielders Timmy Tillman and 17-year-old Jude Terry (making his first-team debut for LAFC), for starters Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-Min, and Stephen Eustáquio.

The second half consisted of several electric moments produced by new Swedish Under-22 signing Amin Boudri, including helping create the 64th minute goal by Tafari - the centerback's first goal in any competition since he scored for FC Dallas in an MLS regular-season game against D.C. United on August 24, 2024.

In the 87th minute, Black & Gold defender Kenny Nielsen was whistled for a penalty against Real España's Nixon Cruz inside the LAFC box. Jhow Benavidez took the spot kick for the Honduran side, but it was saved by a diving Thomas Hasal, who started in goal for LAFC in place of Hugo Lloris.

Next up in Concacaf competition, LAFC will square off against Liga Deportiva Alajuelense, one of the most successful teams in Central America, in the first leg of the Round of 16 on Tuesday, March 10, at BMO Stadium. The two teams reconvene for the second leg on Tuesday, March 17, at Estadio Alejandro Morera Soto in Costa Rica. Kickoff times for both Round of 16 matches will be announced at a later date.

LAFC's next match is an MLS regular season contest on Saturday, February 28, against the Houston Dynamo at Shell Energy Stadium in Houston, Texas. Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT, and the match will be broadcast on Apple TV with local radio coverage on 710 AM ESPN LA, 980 AM La Mera Mera and K-Radio 1230 AM. Fans in Korea can watch on Coupang Play and SPOTV.

NOTES:

Tuesday night's win was LAFC's 12th all-time in Concacaf play. The club has a record of 12W-8L-1D all-time in the competition, including a 7W-2L-0D mark at home. In those nine home games, LAFC has kept seven clean sheets and outscored opponents 16-3.

Bouanga and Tillman each appeared in their 16th Champions Cup game for LAFC on Tuesday night, extending their shared lead for the most Champions Cup appearances in club history.

LAFC last faced Alajuelense in the Concacaf Champions Cup Round of 16 in 2023 (the last year the tournament was known as Concacaf Champions League). Bouanga scored his first-ever hat trick for LAFC in a 3-0, first-leg win in Costa Rica on March 9, 2023. Alajuelense achieved a 2-1 result in the second leg in LA a week later, but LAFC advanced 4-2 on aggregate.

The Black & Gold eventually reached the 2023 Concacaf Final against Club León of Liga MX.

Over the last two years, LAFC has gone 4W-0L-0D at home in Champions Cup play, beating the Colorado Rapids (1-0), Columbus Crew (3-0), and Inter Miami (1-0) at BMO Stadium last year, before Tuesday's win over Real España.

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Major League Soccer Stories from February 25, 2026


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