Hugo Lloris Finally Concedes as LAFC Falls to Earthquakes
San Jose Earthquakes Defeat LAFC 4-1, Ending Lloris’ Impressive Streak
In a surprising turn of events, Ousseni Bouda scored two goals in the second half to lead the San Jose Earthquakes to a 4-1 victory over LAFC on Sunday night. This match marked the end of LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris’ scoreless streak, which had reached an impressive 593 minutes at the start of the season.
The Earthquakes, now 7-1-0, have claimed a first-place tie in the Western Conference and the Supporters’ Shield standings in their second season under head coach Bruce Arena.
Despite a strong defensive performance, Daniel De Sousa Britto fell short of a sixth clean sheet after conceding an own goal by Reid Roberts in the 74th minute. Britto recorded three saves throughout the match.
Bouda opened the scoring in the 53rd minute, utilizing assists from newcomer Timo Werner and Beau Leroux. Werner, returning from a lower-body injury that sidelined him for two weeks, quickly added to the lead, scoring his first MLS goal just three minutes later. This goal was also set up by Leroux, who has now matched his rookie season total with four assists.
A quick succession of goals followed, including an own goal by Ryan Porteous in the 59th minute, bringing the score to 3-0 within six minutes. Bouda then capped off the Earthquakes’ scoring in the 80th minute, marking his fourth goal of the season, assisted by Niko Tsakiris, who achieved a career-high fifth assist.
In contrast, Lloris ended the game with two saves, suffering a second consecutive loss for LAFC, who now hold a record of 5-2-1 and sit third in the Western Conference standings. Lloris had previously sat out a 2-1 loss to the Portland Timbers.
San Jose has proven formidable on the road, winning all four of their matches away from home. Prior to this matchup, LAFC had been undefeated at BMO Stadium in all competitions, boasting a record of 6-0-1 and an impressive goal differential, having outscored opponents 17-1.
