Los Angeles FC midfielder Mark Delgado, front, attempt to recover the ball against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min, front, takes a goal shot against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min reacts after not getting an expected foul call against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Timothy Tillman moves the ball against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga, left, is pulled by San Diego FC midfielder Manu Duah during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga, right, battles for the ball with San Diego FC defender Oscar Verhoeven during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Eddie Segura (4) looks to pass against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Yevhen Cheberko (23) controls the ball as San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer looks on during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris kicks the ball into play against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Timothy Tillman (11) and teammate forward Ryan Porteous (5) reacts to an expected foul call against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, bottom, goes the wrong way as San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer, not pictured, converts a penalty kick for a goal during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
San Diego FC forward Anders Dreyer celebrates after converting a penalty kick for a goal against the Los Angeles FC during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Ryan Porteous, left, is held by San Diego FC midfielder Onni Valakari during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Son Heung-Min, center, is held by San Diego FC midfielder Onni Valakari, left, and defender Ian Murphy during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga, left, battles for the ball with San Diego FC defender Luca Bombino during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Nkosi Tafari winds up to kick the ball against the San Diego FC during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
San Diego FC goalkeeper CJ Dos Santos makes a save against the Los Angeles FC during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC supporters cheer during the second half of an MLS match against the San Diego FC at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. San Diego FC won 1-0. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
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Los Angeles FC midfielder Mark Delgado, front, attempt to recover the ball against the San Diego FC during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, Aug. 15, 2026. Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LOS ANGELES — Three and a half months ago, a dramatic late comeback at Snapdragon Stadium earned the Los Angeles Football Club its only point against San Diego FC.
On Saturday at BMO Stadium, SDFC more than returned the favor, converting an 89th-minute penalty that broke a scoreless tie and the Black & Gold’s eight-match unbeaten streak.
The frantic match finished 1-0 after LAFC center back Ryan Porteous was called for a handball in the box while defending a corner kick. Coming off the head of a San Diego player, Porteous jumped to make a play on the ball, but it banged off the Scotsman’s left hand, which had been raised above his head.
Moroccan referee Ismail Elfath, who oversaw four World Cup matches, including a semifinal pitting Argentina and England, checked the play on the monitor and pointed to the spot.
Danish forward Anders Dreyer stepped up and beat LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris to spoil what would have been the Frenchman’s 11th clean sheet in 17 MLS matches this season.
Following Dreyer’s eighth MLS goal this year, the Dane was shown a second yellow card in stoppage time for a hard foul on Son Heung-min, but the damage was already done.
“I felt the second half was under control,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “I never felt that we were in danger, so that’s why it’s disappointing to get that corner kick penalty. We can do better. I don’t fault it. It is a penalty. And it is a game of little details.”
The budding rivalry game’s intense box-to-box energy tended to fizzle inside the 18, as the two sides combined for one shot on target through 45 minutes, plus another three by the final whistle.
As it has all season, SDFC owned the possession advantage (56% to 44%).
“This is high-level football at its best,” San Diego head coach Mikey Varas said. “You go away to LAFC, with all the firepower that they have, you’re going to concede chances. You’re going to concede momentum at times. But we also found ways to suffer the right way together during those moments. We were also able to shift momentum and create chances.”
LAFC (10-6-4, 34 points) appeared to get on the board in the 22nd minute thanks to a long ball over the top from Timothy Tillman to Denis Bouanga, but after a review on the field, Elfath confirmed that the prolific Frenchman contacted the ball with his right hand first and disallowed the goal.
Unbeaten in all competitions this season when scoring first (15-0-2), LAFC dropped to 0-6-1 in MLS when opponents jumped ahead.
In the 36th minute, Bouanga again found himself in the box and did the right thing, cutting the ball back to an open Son Heung-min in front of the goal mouth. However, former LAFC academy product Luca Bombino slid in from behind the play to knock the ball out of danger.
Bombino was sent on loan by LAFC to SDFC (6-7-6, 24 points) prior to last season, and was officially traded to San Diego in November for $200,000 in 2026 general allocation money.
The 20-year-old defender helped SDFC win the MLS Western Conference in 2025, starting 24 of the 26 regular season games he appeared in. And he remains a fixture for SDFC during the club’s second season, which has been a struggle.
Entering Saturday with two wins in its past 15 MLS games, Varas said winning at LAFC is the kind of result that can propel his group through the second half of the season.
“I do not think we stole one,” Varas said. “This is high-level football when you play a team that’s stacked with talent all over the pitch.”
Varas introduced San Diego’s new Designated Player, Elias Achouri, into the Southern California derby in the 54th minute.
“It was high intensity, high level,” said Achouri, who wears No. 99. “At the end it gets a bit of tension, I would say a lot of emotion. But that’s part of football, also. I was really surprised and really happy.”
Varas and his players should thank goalkeeper CJ dos Santos, especially for the springing save he made off his knees that stopped an Eddie Segura header in the 72nd minute.
“In these types of games you always have to have an extra bit of concentration, an extra bit of focus because they have such good players on the field,” the San Diego goalkeeper said. “They can create opportunities from any sort of moment, any sort of circumstance, so it’s just about keeping everybody focused and keeping yourself focused.”
San Diego can also count itself fortunate that LAFC’s attackers – Bouanga and Son starting alongside Tyler Boyd – did not finish.
LAFC took the field without forward David Martinez, who was ruled out with a leg injury following a 1-1 draw on Wednesday to close the Leagues Cup against Querétaro.
Saturday was the first game without a goal for LAFC since losing to another Mexican side, Toluca, 4-0 on May 6 in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal.
Son’s four-match MLS scoring streak coming off the World Cup break was also snapped.
“We had our chances,” LAFC defender Yevhen Cheberko said. “We didn’t score. We can only blame ourselves.”
For Cheberko and fellow fullback Ryan Hollingshead, the contest marked LAFC’s first setback with them in the starting XI.
Before Cheberko’s arrival, Hollingshead scored in the 104th minute at San Diego to salvage a 2-2 draw in the spring.
LAFC is now 0-3-1 against San Diego.
Coming two days after being eliminated in the Leagues Cup, this was the first time LAFC had not secured points in MLS since falling at Nashville on May 17.
The Black & Gold head to Colorado on Wednesday before hosting Portland next weekend.