LAFC clinches playoff berth, but can the roller coaster season level out?

LOS ANGELES — An 11-game unbeaten streak to begin 2026. Only three wins out of the next 12 before heading into the World Cup break. A fired head coach in late September. Now, four games without a loss since. It's safe to say that LAFC has had quite a roller coaster of a season. Yet, despite all the chaos, a 2-2 draw against the LA Galaxy on Saturday night at BMO Stadium was enough to clinch a spot in the MLS Cup Playoffs for the eighth time in nine years.

Just two games remain in the regular season, with the Black & Gold sitting 12-9-11 and sixth in the Western Conference (47 points). Although time is limited, there's still an opportunity for LA to climb into the top four and secure home-field advantage in their Round One match. Fourth-place San Jose and fifth-place Houston both hold only a slim one-point advantage.

It's certainly fair to critique, however, that LAFC should never have found itself this far down the table in the first place. 

Start with the 11-game unbeaten run, which gave glimpses of a team that looked as if it could run away with the conference. Then came the dip. Three wins in 12 matches before the World Cup break turned a commanding position into a scramble, and the club never managed to fully recover its early-season identity. By the time Marc Dos Santos was fired on Sept. 27, the question was much less about whether LAFC could contend for the top seed, but rather if it could stabilize at all.

This is what makes its recent stretch notable. Four games without a loss under interim head coach Xavi Tamarit won't erase a rough middle of the season, but they have given the group something it lacked for months. Although three of those four results have been draws, they've provided a sense of direction. And Saturday night, against its crosstown rival, Tamarit was sure to credit the supporters as much as his own players.

"The fans…we were losing two to zero, and the fans were supporting and pushing us a lot," he said. "We play with the heart of the people, and I congratulate the team because this is the team we want to see in the future."

Tamarit was also quick to put the team's accomplishment in perspective.

"I'm really happy to be in the playoffs. The club, the players, all of us, we fight for that, and I think we have to be happy because it's not easy for anyone."

It's a fair response considering the big picture. Making the playoffs in eight of nine years is the sort of consistency that most clubs envy, even in a season this rocky.

Defender Aaron Long believes that LAFC's display of resilience on Saturday is indicative of the team's identity.

"I think we're a dangerous team," he said. "I think we're a team that is showing that we're willing to fight even in tough moments."

That willingness to fight has often been embodied by the Black & Gold's all-time leading scorer, Denis Bouanga, who once again found himself at the center of the action against the Galaxy. He's now scored against them in eight consecutive meetings, and his 12 goals in 11 battles against the club match former LAFC great Carlos Vela for the most in the series' history. Those numbers alone would make for a memorable evening, but they aren't even the most impressive part of his résumé. Bouanga is now just two goals shy of becoming the only player in MLS history to score 20 goals in four consecutive seasons.

Yet, individual milestones aren't where his satisfaction lies. 

"Honestly, I don't care individually because the last three seasons I completed everything individually, but nothing with the team," Bouanga said. "That's why I'm so mad sometimes."

That frustration is understandable. He was part of the 2022 squad that lifted the MLS Cup, so he knows what the finish line feels like. But for all of his production since, he hasn't been able to pair his numbers with another desperately coveted title. This postseason provides his next chance to change that, and his belief in the group hasn't wavered.

Steven Park – The Sporting Tribune

Denis Bouanga #99 of LAFC reacts after a VAR review during an MLS regular season match against LA Galaxy on October 25, 2026 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California.

"We can do something for sure. Some teams don't want to play against us."

Bouanga may be right, but belief alone, of course, won't be enough. The inconsistency that defined LAFC's season must continue to be addressed in the final two games, particularly if the club hopes to climb past Houston and San Jose to secure home-field advantage in the opening round. 

If not, LA will need to search for comfort on the road, where playoff soccer can see a single mistake lead to drastic damage. Defensive lapses, like the ones that put the team at a two-goal deficit against the Galaxy, can't be tolerated in such a high-stakes setting. It doesn't help, either, that the Black & Gold have just three wins in 16 tries on the road so far this season.

Still, there are reasons for optimism. The team has managed to curb its losses under Tamarit. Bouanga and Son Heung-min, the other half of LA's prolific playmaking duo, are playing like they have something to prove. Son's 15 assists are tied for the league lead. Bouanga's 27 goal contributions leave him second in MLS behind only Lionel Messi. 

A roller coaster season doesn't always have to end with a crash at the bottom. If LAFC can finally level out, this one might just have one last climb in it.