LAFC limps toward World Cup break after loss to Dynamo

LOS ANGELES — The FIFA World Cup break can’t come soon enough for the Los Angeles Football Club.

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Limping into the pause in play for Major League Soccer after exiting the CONCACAF Champions Cup on Wednesday, LAFC returned to BMO Stadium in search of some nurturing love from their supporters on Mother’s Day.

The visiting Houston Dynamo had something else in mind, taking a 4-1 victory to return the favor following LAFC’s road win at Shell Energy Stadium at the end of February.

“Every time we lost the ball, it seemed like we didn’t have the energy, the capacity to deal with their three players in transition,” said LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos.

“Our guys are pushing,” he said. “Great attitude. Great mentality. But there’s moments when we feel flat. I feel it even sometimes in the building. It’s just hard right now.”

Winning five of the last six games across all competitions entering Sunday, including a trio of 1-0 MLS wins, the Dynamo entered the weekend with the fourth fewest goals in MLS.

They scored twice in just over half an hour to secure an advantage that they did not relinquish.

In the 25th minute, left-footed American midfielder Jack McGlynn’s perfect one-time shot from outside the box landed in the upper 90 at the far post for his first goal of the season.

That was Houston’s first shot on target. Their second, off a free kick in the 34th minute after referee Drew Fischer whistled LAFC’s Stephen Eustáquio for a foul outside the 18, made it 2-0.

Fischer and Eustáquio were familiar with each other following an encounter at BMO Stadium on March 7, when the Canadian referee bumped into his countryman, leading to a leg injury that forced the LAFC midfielder to miss a month and a half. This time their interaction preceded Brazilian attacker Guilherme’s free kick that glanced past Hugo Lloris off Mark Delgado’s left foot.

A few moments later, fullback Sergi Palencia took a knock and was immediately removed for Ryan Raposo.

“I think we lost an important player to injury, maybe not a good one,” Dos Santos said. “It just bothers me that all these games, the lack of recovery, it’s hard. It’s hard to lose guys like that.”

Fatigued and disjointed, LAFC (6-3-3, 21 points) continued to struggle with chance creation, particularly during first halves.

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Without a shot on target up to that point, LAFC found momentary life before heading to the locker room when Nathan Ordaz, starting in place of Denis Bouanga, who was suspended due to yellow card accumulation, finished a cross from Jacob Shaffelburg that was helped along by Eustáquio.

Ordaz’s second goal of the year in MLS was his first since a season-opening win against Lionel Messi’s Inter Miami at the Memorial Coliseum.

“We might be tired, but not 4-1 tired,” Ordaz said. “We’re all winners and we expect better from each other.”

Whatever hope LAFC had coming out of the locker room quickly disappeared as Houston (6-5-0, 18 points) sealed the match.

Former LAFC forward Mateusz Bogusz scored his first against his old club, collecting a rebound off his own shot in the box by beating Eddie Segura to the ball and rolling a second attempt to the back of the net.

On Sunday, Segura, a 29-year-old Colombian center back who joined LAFC in 2019 and endured multiple knee surgeries since arriving, surpassed Carlos Vela for the club lead in MLS regular season appearances (153). He also has the most appearances (198) in all competitions for the Black & Gold.

“For me, and for everyone here, this has been a huge step in both my life and my career,” Segura said in Spanish. “I feel very happy and proud to represent these colors; every time I have the opportunity to step onto the pitch, I try to give 100%. And well, becoming the player with the most [regular season] appearances today truly fills me with pride.

“Obviously, when we don’t get the results we want, well, naturally, we all feel that pain and that intense desire to achieve positive outcomes. But when those results elude us, that is precisely the moment to stand firm, to acknowledge where we are falling short, and to put in the work.”

Adding to his ledger versus LAFC, including a game-winner in April 2025 for his first goal as a Dynamo player, McGlynn’s 55th-minute brace came with time and space in the box to pick out the far corner on another first-time shot.

The loss, in front of an announced crowd of 21,531, matched LAFC’s worst home defeat of the season, which came April 19 against San Jose after another trip to Mexico for CONCACAF play.

A weary LAFC departs for an extended road trip to St. Louis for a match Wednesday followed by another Saturday at Nashville, before hosting Seattle on May 24, heading into the World Cup pause that will last through mid-July.

“I want to make sure we get points before that,” Dos Santos said, “but I can tell you the break is going to be really good for us.”

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