LOS ANGELES — Maxime Crepeau did everything in his power to deny his former teammates.
But Denis Bouanga and the Los Angeles Football Club proved to be too much to handle for their beloved friend and former goalkeeper, toppling the Portland Timbers 3-2 with a dramatic stoppage time win at BMO Stadium on Saturday.
Bouanga’s sixth goal of the season capped another charged affair between the Western Conference rivals two weeks after their first regular season meeting, a 2-2 draw in Portland.
Rallying from two goals down at Providence Park, LAFC suffered a similar fate when Portland came from behind.
Without Brazilian midfielder Evander — Portland’s hottest player who tallied three assists and as many goals in his last four matches, including one of each against LAFC two weeks ago — the Timbers were less than dangerous in the opening half.
Unable to put LAFC (4-3-3, 15 points) under sustained pressure, the visitors conceded possession and were carved up as the Black & Gold attack found plenty of space, particularly behind the Timbers (2-4-4, 10 points) defense.
Outshooting the visitors 9-1 in the first 20 minutes, LAFC had to wait until just before the break to score thanks to goalkeeper Maxime Crepeau, whose return to BMO Stadium after leaving as a free agent in the offseason was treated warmly by his former teammates and supporters.
Crepeau did what he could to stymie LAFC. Starting in front of the 3252 supporters in the North End, Crepeau stopped shots three times in the first 18 minutes, denying Bouanga twice along with a quality attempt from Cristian Olivera.
A corner kick following Bouanga’s second effort found Ilie Sanchez at the near post, where the Spanish midfielder headed the ball off the post for an MLS-leading 10th shot off the woodwork in 2024.
LAFC appeared to take a lead a short time later when Timothy Tillman dribbled the ball from midfield before breaking the Timbers defense with a short through ball that allowed Bouanga to take a quick touch before chipping Crepeau. However a video review for a handball off Tillman’s forearm at the start of the sequence wiped away what would have been Bouanga’s sixth goal of the season.
The dynamic French forward put himself in the mix again late in the half, and while LAFC’s go-ahead goal didn’t register in Bouanga’s column his presence was enough to force an own-goal against Timbers defender Kamal Miller, who went to ground to try and deny the back end of a cross to Olivera.
LAFC added its second in stoppage time when Olivera, free down the right side thanks to a good outlet pass by Ryan Hollingshead, moved down the field and into the box before cutting it back for Tillman.
The German-American’s first time shot bounced low off the inside of the far post, past a diving Crepeau, for his fourth goal in 10 appearances.
Portland found its footing when Uruguayan forward Jonathan Rodiguez corralled the ball with his chest just outside the middle of the box and struck a one-hopper beyond Lloris’s reach after the hour mark for his second MLS goal.
With the final 15 minutes looming, the Timbers leveled the match from nearly the same spot as Rodriguez courtesy of Colombian midfielder Santiago Moreno’s third finish of the season.
Moments later, Portland’s other Colombian midfielder, 14-year MLS veteran Diego Chara, picked up a second yellow, forcing the Timbers to play with 10 minutes to the final whistle, just as they did 14 days ago when Crepeau was shown a straight red early in the second half before LAFC rallied.
By stepping on the field, however, Chara established a pair of MLS records, passing San Jose’s Chris Wondolowski for the most games played with one club (377) and Real Salt Lake’s Nick Rimando for most games started with the same team (370).
Down a man, Crepeau kept his new team in the game with four stellar stops until Bouanga’s laser in the 92nd minute. All told, the Canadian international made eight saves to Lloris’s three, including a tremendous reaction off a Kei Kamara header in stoppage time that fell to Bouanga’s lethal right.
Last year’s Golden Boot recipient kept the Black & Gold unbeaten after six games home and pushed them to four matches without a loss.