LAFC Advances to MLS Western Conference Semifinals with 4-1 Road Victory over Austin FC
MLS Los Angeles FC

LAFC Advances to MLS Western Conference Semifinals with 4-1 Road Victory over Austin FC

Published on November 3, 2025 under Major League Soccer (MLS)
Los Angeles FC News Release


LAFC advanced to the Western Conference Semifinals in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs on Sunday night with a 4-1 win over Austin FC in Game 2 of their Round One Best-of-3 series at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.

Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga assisted one another in the 21st and 25th minutes to give LAFC an early 2-0 advantage, then Bouanga added another in the 44th before Austin's Dani Pereira pulled one back with a penalty kick just before halftime to end an action-packed first 45 minutes.

Late substitute Jeremy Ebobisse added the final goal in stoppage time to complete the scoring and seal the 4-1 result for the visitors.

The win pushed LAFC to the Western Conference Semifinals for the fourth straight season. No other MLS team has reached this stage of the MLS Cup Playoffs in each of the past four years. The Black & Gold will travel to face the Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday November 22 or Sunday November 23 in a winner-take-all match to determine who will move on to the Western Conference Final the following weekend.

NOTES

With the win, LAFC is now 11W-6L-1D all-time in the MLS Cup Playoffs, including a 10W-3L-1D mark under head coach Steve Cherundolo.

LAFC is the only MLS team to reach the conference semifinals in each of the past four years. Last season, when LAFC reached the conference semis, it became the only MLS team to do so in 2022, 2023, and 2024.

This is the second time LAFC has eliminated Austin FC from the MLS Cup Playoffs. The Black & Gold defeated Austin in the 2022 Western Conference Final at BMO Stadium, 3-0.

Son's goal was his 10th since joining LAFC and his first MLS postseason goal. His assist was his fourth this season in all competitions and his first in an MLS Cup Playoff match.

Bouanga's two goals were his 100th and 101st for LAFC in all competitions, and his ninth and tenth goals in the MLS Cup Playoffs, extending his lead as LAFC's all-time leader in playoff goals (10 goals in 14 games).

Bouanga moved past Seattle's Jordan Morris (nine goals) to become the leader among all active players in postseason goals, with 10.

This is the third time Bouanga has scored twice in a single MLS Cup Playoff game. He previously did so in a 5-2 win against Vancouver in Round One of the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs as well as against the Galaxy in the 2022 Western Conference Semifinals.

Midfielder Andrew Moran and defender Artem Smoliakov made their LAFC postseason debuts (and MLS Cup Playoffs debuts) in the game. Moran replaced Nathan Ordaz in the 68th minute, and Smoliakov came on for Palencia at the same time.

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