A West Coast road trip against a Los Angeles FC team that had scored 15 goals in its last four matches may have seemed daunting, but Atlanta United didn't shy away from the fight. The 5-Stripes fortified their goal for nearly all the Sunday Night Soccer matchup, but Denis Bouanga's sneaky finish was the winner. The 5-Stripes fell 1-0 at BMO Stadium in the City of Angels. Head coach Ronny Deila's lineup tweak, opting for a back five, proved the home side's kryptonite for most of the match — but the wall fell at the last moment.
What happened: Stian Gregersen's pace came in handy in the 7th minute when Denis Bouanga broke out on the right side of the pitch. The Norwegian center back closed quickly and stuffed the shot off Bouanga for a goal kick.
The 5-Stripes were disciplined defending shots, not leaving their feet too soon and standing in the way of a few opportunities in the first 20 minutes. Son Heung-min's outside-the-box look was parried away in the 18th minute, one of a couple of long-range looks he attempted early on.
In possession, Atlanta United did very well with their few opportunities to build. Alexey Miranchuk, Bartosz Slisz and Steven Alzate took great care of the ball, feeding runners on the wings when they found space on counter attacks.
Jayden Hibbert made a huge reaction save in the 24th minute when an LAFC cross deflected towards the top left corner of the frame. The 21-year-old was very active in the early going, confident in the face of numerous attempts.
The first 45 was, in short, hectic. Neither team could say they created a true golden chance at an opener, though LAFC created more threatening moments. Perhaps the best look fell to LAFC in the 35th minute off a Son cross. Ryan Hollingshead tried to flick a header on from close range but missed the goal entirely.
The patience of the Atlanta United midfield contributed to helpful spells of possession, but the 5-Stripes weren't aggressive enough in firing off shots until the final minutes of the first half. The home side lead production by over a full expected goal at the break, but the score was knotted at 0-0.
The second half started looking exactly like the first: LAFC attacks, Atlanta defends and deflects and eventually hits on the break. The Black and Gold sent considerable numbers forward, leaving plenty of space for the likes of Miranchuk, Miguel Almirón and Jamal Thiaré to counter.
Hibbert made maybe the best save of his young career in the 56th minute. When a cross came across the goal to the back post, Mark Delgado flicked the ball back across the frame as Hibbert was sprinting to cover. Against his momentum, he stood up and blocked the shot away for a corner.
LAFC kept pushing for the first goal of the night. Hollingshead had another great look from a header off a corner in the 65th minute, but the ball flew low and just outside of the right post.
Bartosz Slisz took a couple of long shots on the day, and in the 70th minute, his strike nearly opened the scoring. He zipped a strike low, and it deflected off a defender and then off the right post before going out. Deila saw a chance to snatch the game, bringing on Emmanuel Latte Lath and Tristan Muyumba in the 72nd minute. Six minutes later, Gregersen made way for Saba Lobjanidze, another attacking substitution.
Latte Lath played a cheeky back heel to Muyumba in the 84th minute to set the midfielder up with a point-blank strike on goal. His fellow countryman Hugo Lloris made the save, but the play was called back for Latte Lath's run being offside.
In the 86th minute, Bouanga finally found the back of the net. An LAFC cross swung into the back post was headed away, but there was the forward from Gabon to clean it up. His strike snuck between Hibbert's legs for 1-0. The match fizzled out afterward, a chaotic evening full of half chances and near maybes decided by just one definitive moment.
Milestones:
- Alexey Miranchuk and Miguel Almirón both made their 30th starts of the MLS regular season in 2025.
Up next: Atlanta United plays its final road match of the season, a rescheduled match against Inter Miami October 11. Kickoff for the match that was originally set to take place in June is at 7:30 p.m. ET.
