MEXICO CITY — Denis Bouanga netted a crucial late penalty to secure a 1-1 draw for LAFC against defending champions Cruz Azul on Tuesday, allowing them to progress to the semifinals of the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
Gabriel Fernandez opened the scoring with a penalty in the 18th minute, giving the home side the lead, but Bouanga found the equalizer with a low right-foot shot into the bottom left corner during stoppage time.
Having won the first leg 3-0, featuring two goals from David Martínez, LAFC will face the winner of the matchup between Toluca FC and the LA Galaxy.
LAFC is pursuing its third appearance in the tournament final, having previously reached the championship in 2020 and 2023.
Cruz Azul ended the match with 10 players after Gonzalo Piovi received a red card in the 90th minute.
The Mexican club, a seven-time Champions Cup champion, aimed to replicate América’s achievement of consecutive titles in the 2014-15 and 2015-16 seasons.