One recreation. Ninety minutes (plus further time). Ten million {dollars}.
These have been the stakes Saturday night as Membership America took on Los Angeles FC in a one-off play-in recreation to find out which staff would qualify for this summer time’s Membership World Cup.
It was LAFC who got here out on prime by two targets to at least one after 120 minutes of tense, tightly managed play. Membership America broke by first, netting a penalty within the sixty fourth minute, however LAFC tied the sport at 1-1 within the 89th to take the match to further time and flip momentum in LAFC’s favor.
Denis Bouanga, LAFC’s mercurial Gabonese talisman, discovered the winner within the 114th minute. His strike earned LAFC the win, the $10M and the coveted spot within the event, the place it can symbolize the US alongside Inter Miami and the Seattle Sounders.