For the second consecutive FIFA Club World Cup game, Los Angeles Football Club had its chances.
Yet again, LAFC finished without a goal, this time with a bitter 1-0 defeat courtesy of Espérance de Tunis after Denis Bouanga’s penalty shot was denied in the final minutes Friday at GEODIS Park in Nashville.
The loss ended the Black & Gold’s hopes of advancing four days after a 2-0 loss to Chelsea FC opened their competition.
Youcef Belaili got ES Tunis on the board in the 70th minute, finally breaking through with a shot from the left between the legs of LAFC keeper Hugo Lloris.
In the sixth minute of injury time, Marion getting taken down in the box by ES Tunis’ Khalil Gueniichi, confirmed after a gruelingly long VAR review, gave LAFC life.
Bouanga was teed up for the familiar role of hero, but his effort to the lower right was correctly assessed by Bechir Ben Said, who dove left to deny Bouanga in the 101st minute.
ES Tunis became the second African team, following Mamelodi Sundowns’ victory over Ulsan Hyundai on Tuesday, to win a match in this Club World Cup. The Tunisians will next face Chelsea, with which it is tied with three points and needing a victory to advance.
LAFC, meanwhile, is the first team eliminated after becoming the last team in with its 2-1 victory over Club America just three weeks ago in which Bouanga played the hero with the decisive goal in the 115th minute.
More to come on this story.
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