Denis Bouanga and Sergi Palencia each score a goal, LAFC beats Earthquakes 2-1

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Denis Bouanga had a goal and an assists, Sergi Palencia also scored a goal on Saturday night to help Los Angeles FC beat the San Jose Earthquakes 2-1.

Palencia scored his first career MLS goal in the 65th minute. Bouanga, on the left side, cut back to evade a defender and blasted a shot from the corner of the penalty area that was parried by goalkeeper Daniel De Sousa Britto — known simply as “Daniel” — but Palencia slammed home the rebound to open the scoring.

Olivier Giroud, on the counter-attack, had his shot from the top of the penalty arc parried by a diving Daniel but Bouanga tapped the rebound inside the near post to make it 2-0 in the 86th.

Josef Martínez, near the penalty spot, calmly waited an three defenders closed in, then tapped a pass to Cristian Espinoza for a first-touch finish that got San Jose (3-4-1) on the board in the fifth minute of stoppage time.

LAFC (4-4-0) had lost back-to-back games and four of its last five.

___

AP soccer: https://apnews.com/soccer