Result Los Angeles FC 0 – 1 Esperance, Friday 20 June 2025, FIFA Club World Cup, Group Stage

FIFA Club World Cup

Result Los Angeles FC 0 – 1 Esperance, Friday 20 June 2025, FIFA Club World Cup, Group Stage

Los Angeles FC faced a defeat against Esperance Sportive de Tunis during the Group Stage of the FIFA Club World Cup on Friday, June 20, 2025, at Geodis Park stadium in Nashville, USA.
This was a disappointing loss for the MLS team LAFC, as they were eliminated from the FIFA Club World Cup after Denis Bouanga had his penalty saved deep into stoppage time, resulting in a 1-0 defeat.

As a result, this victory puts Esperance on par with Chelsea in Group D, following Chelsea’s earlier loss of 3-1 to Brazil’s Flamengo on the same Friday.

Youcef Belaïli scored for the Tunisian team in the 70th minute, but LAFC seemed poised to equalize and keep their hopes alive heading into the final round of matches when referee Espen Eskas awarded a late penalty after a video review determined that Khalil Guenichi had brought down Marlon in the box.

However, Bouanga’s penalty kick was saved by Ben Said, sealing LAFC’s exit from the tournament, which they had qualified for just three weeks prior by winning a playoff against Club América.

The winner of the upcoming match between Esperance and Chelsea on Tuesday in Philadelphia will advance to the knockout stage, with Chelsea able to progress with a draw due to a better goal differential. Esperance’s win on Friday also secured Flamengo’s spot in the round of 16.

Stats before the game

After suffering a defeat to Chelsea last Monday, Los Angeles is looking to regroup and bounce back in this upcoming match.

In contrast to their opponent’s recent difficulties, Esperance enters this game with confidence, having recently achieved a three-game winning streak against Stade Tunis, Ben Guerdane, and Esperance de Zarzis, aiming to extend their unbeaten run to eleven.

Match Officials

Los Angeles FC – Esperance de Tunis
Referee: Espen Eskas NOR
Assistant Referee 1: Jan Engan NOR
Assistant Referee 2: Isaak Bashevkin NOR
Fourth Official: Jean Ndala COD
VAR: Tomasz Kwiatkowski POL
AVAR: Bram Van Driessche BEL
SVAR: Mohammed Obaid UAE

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