Denis Bouanga rescues LAFC in draw with Portland

LOS ANGELES — Desperately attempting to avoid three consecutive shutout defeats, the Los Angeles Football Club’s Old Faithful, Denis Bouanga, rescued his side on Saturday.

Down 1-0 four minutes into a match at BMO Stadium against the Portland Timbers, LAFC came tantalizingly close on multiple occasions until Bouanga took charge in the 78th minute and struck a curling shot from outside the box.

Receiving the ball near the left touchline, Bouanga darted to the right and from 20 yards out laced his shot past Timbers goalkeeper James Pantemis, who couldn’t do a thing about on a night he made 11 saves.

For much of the evening, Pantemis and the defenders in front of him, with 11 blocked shots, did everything they could to protect Portland’s early advantage.

Unlike recent 1-0 defeats to San Diego and Colorado, LAFC’s perseverance salvaged a point.

Bouanga’s goal from distance, his 11th score of the year, marked the fourth time in 11 MLS matches this season that LAFC (10-7-5, 35 points) fell behind and did not lose.

The 31-year-old French forward had been a prolific shot taker the past three seasons, finishing first in that category the previous two years and second in 2023. Yet in 2026, Bouanga’s numbers slipped and he entered the evening 12th in MLS for shots on target.

The equalizer offset Portuguese midfielder David Da Costa’s third goal of the season in the opening moments of the match.

A Bouanga pass into the middle of the field wound up at the feet of Portland winger Kristoffer Velde, who charged toward Hugo Lloris and the LAFC box. As three defenders converged on him, the 26-year-old Norwegian slipped a pass to Da Costa, who scored with his left foot inside the near post.

Portland (8-9-4, 28 points) entered the contest on a hot streak under new head coach Martí Cifuentes, entering Saturday 4-1-1 in MLS since returning from the World Cup break and moving into a playoff spot.

LAFC remained third in the Western Conference, five points behind Vancouver.

Starting on the wing instead of his usual midfield role, Timothy Tillman was removed in the 20th minute for Jacob Shaffelburg due to an issue with the German-American’s right hamstring.

Thin in the middle of the park as is, any extended absence for Tillman shines a bright light on LAFC’s need for inbound transfers as the summer window closes on Sept. 2.

More to come on this story.