Denis Bouanga added to his league-best goal-scoring total to help Los Angeles FC notch a 1-1 tie against the host Vancouver Whitecaps in the regular-season finale for both teams on Saturday night.
Ali Ahmed scored the tying goal in the second half for the Whitecaps.
The tie dropped Los Angeles FC (14-10-10, 52 points) into third place in the Western Conference as the Seattle Sounders defeated St. Louis City on Saturday to claim second.
Vancouver (12-10-12, 48 points) finished sixth in the West and will have a rematch with LAFC in the first round of the playoffs. The Whitecaps are unbeaten in their past five matches (1-0-4).
Bouanga scored his 20th goal of the season in the 34th minute. He is the winner of the Golden Boot as the league’s leading goal scorer.
Whitecaps star Ryan Gauld missed two penalty kicks. He was 6-for-6 this season prior to the two misses.
Shortly after the match started, there was a public address announcement that Vancouver coach Vanni Sartini signed a two-year contract extension through the 2025 season.
Former Whitecaps goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau had two saves for LAFC, who are 2-0-1 over their last three matches. Vancouver’s Yohei Takaoka had six stops.
Takaoka kept the match tied in the 90th minute when he made a kick save to thwart a close-range chance by LAFC’s Mario Gonzalez.
Crepeau came up big in the 16th minute when he got his left hand on a left-footed penalty kick by Gauld.
In the 34th minute, Bouanga continued his stellar season by sending a left-footed shot past Takaoka. He has six goals in the past three matches.
The Whitecaps evened the score in the 58th minute when Richie Laryea sent a cross toward Ahmed, who hit a right-footed volley into the right corner of the net. The goal was Vancouver’s 55th of the campaign to set a franchise record.
Gauld went to the spot for the second time in the 75th minute. This time, his left-footed boot caromed off the crossbar.
–Field Level Media
