LAFC exit Club World Cup with "our heads up high" | OneFootball

By Jaime Uribarri

In their FIFA 2025 Club World Cup farewell match, LAFC managed something no one else had yet done at the tournament: put a serious scare into Brazilian giants Flamengo.

Already eliminated ahead of Tuesday's Group D finale, the Black & Gold came close to a massive upset at Orlando's Camping World Stadium before settling for a 1-1 draw.

Denis Bouanga's 84th-minute goal – LAFC's first in Club World Cup history – stunned the Mengão, who already had the group's top spot secured thanks to comfortable wins over ES Tunis and Chelsea.

Wallace Yan salvaged the point for Flamengo just two minutes later, but, for a brief moment at least, LAFC had a world-class opponent on the ropes.

Flirting with history

Head coach Steve Cherundolo praised his players for their efforts, which almost resulted in a historic win for the club.

"They put everything into this game. They played in a smart way, they played with passion," Cherundolo told DAZN after the match. "... I am not disappointed at all.

"Of course, when you concede late, you think about what could have been. But I think it's a fair result and I couldn't be prouder of our team."

Tuesday was the latest 'what could have been' for LAFC at the Club World Cup, following a heartbreaking 1-0 loss against ES Tunis on Friday that was decided on a saved Bouanga penalty kick in second-half stoppage time.

"I think for the six halves we played, five of them were good, one of them was bad," Cherundolo said. "And I think we should be able to hold our heads up high."

Valuable experience

For defender Aaron Long, the result was bittersweet, especially given the level of LAFC's opponent.

"Coming out of that with a tie, it feels like a loss, just conceding so late," Long told DAZN. "But again, it's an amazing team in Flamengo and it's a great effort for the boys."

With a first Club World Cup under his belt, Long wants more experiences like this with the Black & Gold.

"The results didn't go our way. So I think just learn from a couple of things, take the good things and try to build off that," the veteran USMNT center back said.

"And if we ever get a chance at a big tournament like this again, just learn from our mistakes."

MLS back in focus

In the short term, Cherundolo expects LAFC's first taste of CWC play to boost the second half of their 2025 MLS season – his last with the club.

"I know our team will recover from this, we will learn from this," Cherundolo said. "We will get even better and we are grateful for this experience."

Currently fifth in the Western Conference, the Black & Gold are back in league action on Sunday night against first-place Vancouver Whitecaps FC (9:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).