LAFC Surrender Late Equalizer in 2–2 Draw With San Jose
Photo By: Jose Martinez
September 19, 2026 | Levi’s Stadium — Santa Clara, California
LAFC looked destined to leave Northern California with a big three points on Saturday after building a two-goal lead against the San Jose Earthquakes.
Instead, a late equalizer changed everything.
LAFC took a 2–0 lead through Heung-min Son and Denis Bouanga, but the match became much more difficult after Aaron Long was sent off in the first half. San Jose eventually pulled one back through Preston Judd before Reid Roberts scored deep into stoppage time to make it 2–2.
What looked like a strong road victory for LAFC turned into a frustrating draw.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
Son Gives LAFC the Lead
LAFC started the match looking dangerous and eventually found the opening goal in the 34th minute.
Heung-min Son received the ball from Mark Delgado in midfield and immediately began moving toward the San Jose penalty area. With room to shoot, Son cut inside and fired a low effort from outside the box.
The shot found the bottom corner, giving LAFC a 1–0 advantage.
It was another important attacking moment from Son, who continued to make an impact since arriving in Los Angeles.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
Long Sent Off
Only a couple of minutes after taking the lead, LAFC's situation suddenly changed.
San Jose quickly moved forward and created an opportunity behind the LAFC defense. Aaron Long stepped in to stop the attack, but the referee determined that his challenge denied an obvious goalscoring opportunity.
Long was shown a straight red card.
LAFC were now down to 10 players with more than 50 minutes still remaining.
The sending-off forced LAFC to change its approach. Rather than continuing to attack with numbers, the visitors had to become more compact and prepare for sustained pressure from San Jose.
Despite the disadvantage, LAFC managed to take its 1–0 lead into halftime.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
Bouanga Doubles the Advantage
Playing with 10 men didn't stop LAFC from finding another goal.
Early in the second half, the Black & Gold caught San Jose in a dangerous position and created another opportunity in front of goal.
Son was again involved, setting up Denis Bouanga, who finished the chance to put LAFC ahead 2–0.
The goal was a huge moment for LAFC.
Despite being a player down, they had managed to create a two-goal cushion and put themselves in position to take all three points on the road.
But there was still a long way to go.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
San Jose Starts Applying Pressure
The Earthquakes responded by throwing more players forward.
With an extra player on the field, San Jose began controlling possession and forcing LAFC deeper into its own half. The game increasingly became a defensive battle for LAFC.
Hugo Lloris became one of the most important players on the field as the Earthquakes continued creating chances.
San Jose finished with 22 shots and nine shots on target, while LAFC managed just four total shots. The Earthquakes also controlled more than 60% of possession.
LAFC's defense repeatedly had to clear crosses, block shots and deal with pressure around the penalty area.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
Judd Gets San Jose Back in the Game
The pressure finally paid off in the 70th minute.
San Jose worked the ball into the attacking third before Preston Judd found the finishing touch to cut LAFC's lead in half.
Suddenly, the score was 2–1.
The goal gave the Earthquakes even more belief, while LAFC had to survive another 20-plus minutes with only 10 players.
The visitors continued defending deep and looking for opportunities to slow the game down.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
LAFC Defends for Its Life
As the match entered its final stages, San Jose continued searching for an equalizer.
LAFC's defensive line remained compact, while Lloris continued making important saves to protect the lead.
Every clearance became more important.
Every San Jose attack created another moment of danger.
Despite the pressure, LAFC appeared to have done enough to escape with a 2–1 victory.
Then came eight minutes of stoppage time.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
Heartbreak in the Final Seconds
With the match nearly over, San Jose found one final opportunity.
In the eighth minute of stoppage time, Beau Leroux played the ball toward Reid Roberts, who found space outside the penalty area.
Roberts struck a left-footed shot that traveled through traffic and found the bottom corner.
The stadium erupted.
San Jose had tied the match 2–2 with virtually the final attacking opportunity of the night.
For LAFC, it was a heartbreaking way to lose two points after spending so much of the match protecting a two-goal advantage.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
Son's Influence Continues
Even though LAFC couldn't hold onto the victory, Son once again showed his importance to the team.
The forward scored the opening goal and later helped create Bouanga's second-half finish.
His ability to create chances from outside the box and combine with LAFC's attacking players gave the team a major threat throughout the match.
Bouanga also continued his strong record against San Jose by finding the back of the net.
A Point That Felt Like Two Different Results
The final score doesn't tell the entire story.
For LAFC, the match was impressive in one sense. They played most of the game with 10 players, scored twice and managed to withstand a huge amount of pressure.
But giving up a goal in the 98th minute made the result feel like a missed opportunity.
San Jose finished the night with significantly more possession, shots and corners, but LAFC had been just minutes away from taking all three points.
Photo By: Jose Martinez
Final Takeaway
LAFC's night in San Jose was a story of momentum, adversity and a late twist.
Son opened the scoring.
Long's red card completely changed the match.
Bouanga gave LAFC a two-goal cushion.
Judd brought San Jose back into the game.
And Roberts delivered the final blow in stoppage time.
After doing so much to protect its lead while playing a man down, LAFC ultimately had to settle for a point.
Final: San Jose Earthquakes 2–2 LAFC
LAFC goals: Heung-min Son, Denis Bouanga
San Jose goals: Preston Judd, Reid Roberts
Key moment: Reid Roberts' 98th-minute equalizer.