LAFC Loses Penalty Shootout to Mazatlán in Leagues Cup Opener

Los Angeles FC opened its Leagues Cup campaign with a loss on penalties to Mazatlán FC at BMO Stadium, after the teams finished level at 1-1 through 90 minutes. The shootout lasted 12 rounds, and Mazatlán won it 11-10 to take two points in the standings to LAFC's one.

Both sides used heavily rotated lineups in front of an announced crowd of 11,409. LAFC changed seven players from the group that started Friday's 1-0 MLS loss to Portland. Mazatlán made 10 changes from its 1-0 defeat to Pachuca over the weekend. The shootout was so long that the teams cycled through 10 outfield players and goalkeepers before the order started over.

The deciding moment came when Denis Bouanga, who had scored his first attempt, sent his second shot over the crossbar. Nicolás Benedetti's earlier kick for Mazatlán proved to be the difference.

LAFC took the lead through 19-year-old Venezuelan David Martínez, who was making his first start in seven matches. Midfielder Timothy Tillman played a long ball behind the Mazatlán back line, and Martínez, with two defenders on his back and goalkeeper Ricardo Rodríguez Mazzocco rushing off his line, chipped the keeper with the outside of his left foot. It was his first Leagues Cup goal. Ten minutes earlier, Martínez had set up center forward Jeremy Ebobisse for a shot inside the box, and Ebobisse later returned the favor, though Martínez's attempt struck the crossbar.

Mazatlán answered quickly. Fábio Gomes, a 28-year-old Brazilian striker and the only regular in the visitors' lineup, turned on a pass behind LAFC's defense in the 31st minute and hit a shot off the far post for the equalizer. Center back Nkosi Tafari called his team "a little naive" in the minutes after scoring, noting that the opponent is bound to play with high energy.

Neither team took control through the hour mark, and both brought on regular starters. Bouanga, the all-time leading scorer in Leagues Cup play with 12 goals, entered in the 61st minute with Sergi Palencia, Nathan Ordaz and Mark Delgado. His appearance ended a run of 26 consecutive starts for LAFC. Bouanga and Palencia are the only LAFC players to appear in all 11 Leagues Cup games the club has played.

Head coach Steve Cherundolo defended the rotation, saying it is his job "to protect the players" and that games sometimes come too quickly to start the same team each week. He said his starters "certainly did enough to win this game." LAFC played without goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who is in France as part of the process of receiving a green card, so David Ochoa started in goal.

The result leaves LAFC with work to do. Under the revamped 2025 format, the two leagues face each other throughout the 54 regionalized games and the knockout quarterfinals, and each league sends its top four teams from Phase One to the knockouts. LAFC lost last summer's title game 3-1 to Columbus and was seeking a second straight trip to the final.

LAFC next faces Pachuca on Friday night. Pachuca, like LAFC a FIFA Club World Cup entrant, began with a 3-2 win over San Diego FC. The club closes Phase One on Aug. 5 against Tigres, who beat Houston 4-1. Ebobisse said the team did some good things but lacked a final product, adding: "So we have two games to get it right."