​Sep 12, 2026; Kansas City, Kansas, USA; Los Angeles FC defender Nkosi Tafari (91) and Los Angeles FC defender Eddie Segura (4) defend Sporting Kansas City forward Stephen Afrifa (17) during the second half at Children’s Mercy Park.KANSAS CITY, Mo. — LAFC spent the first half of Saturday night looking like a team that had forgotten what was at stake.Sporting Kansas City came into the match with the worst goal difference in MLS and 58 goals conceded through 23 games, yet it was LAFC that looked overwhelmed for long stretches at Sporting Park. By halftime, Sporting had built a 2-0 lead, and although LAFC fought its way back into the match after the break, a late defensive mistake turned what briefly looked like a comeback into a 3-1 loss.Marc Dos Santos did not have a complicated explanation for what went wrong.“The problem is in the first half we stayed in the plane,” Dos Santos said. “I think in the first half we were still in LA, maybe very disappointing. We defended far from each other, passive. We didn’t win any duels in the first half.”It was a startling opening from an LAFC team that had just set a club record with its 13th clean sheet against the New York Red Bulls on Wednesday. Five days later, the Black & Gold were repeatedly exposed by a Sporting attack that had been among the league’s least productive.Andre Luiz, Sporting’s club-record signing, made the difference early. He opened the scoring in the 18th minute with a spectacular finish after leaving Igor Jesus on the ground with a cutback, then nearly added another minutes later with a backheel into a volley that Hugo Lloris had to push behind.OH MY ANDRÉ LUIZ! 😮‍💨His first MLS goal gives @SportingKC the lead!📺 Apple TV: https://t.co/GmNnEFF3Chpic.twitter.com/2yrdAskN4a— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026The second goal was less spectacular and more concerning. LAFC lost track of Stephen Afrifa at the back post, allowing him to head Taylor Calheira’s cross across goal and into the net.Lloris kept the deficit from growing before halftime, while Stefan Cleveland denied Denis Bouanga at the other end. Bouanga was clearly LAFC’s most dangerous attacking player, even as the team around him struggled to create much consistently. He nearly cut the deficit before halftime, then came out of the break determined to change the game himself.He did exactly that.Just two minutes into the second half, Jacob Shaffelburg found Bouanga at the back post with a difficult pass while falling, and Bouanga finished to make it 2-1. The goal tied Carlos Vela for the most regular-season goals in LAFC history with 78.Jacob Shaffelburg ➡️ Denis Bouanga! 💪@LAFC cut the deficit. pic.twitter.com/Oyq7bBXeo4— Major League Soccer (@MLS) September 13, 2026Suddenly, the match looked completely different.Bouanga had another goal ruled out for offside five minutes later and continued finding ways into dangerous positions. Cleveland was forced into another major save, wh