{"id":904060,"date":"2026-05-07T05:18:30","date_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:18:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/lafc-ready-for-special-champions-cup-test-at-toluca-mlssoccer-com\/"},"modified":"2026-05-07T05:18:30","modified_gmt":"2026-05-07T10:18:30","slug":"lafc-ready-for-special-champions-cup-test-at-toluca-mlssoccer-com","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/newsycanuse.com\/index.php\/2026\/05\/07\/lafc-ready-for-special-champions-cup-test-at-toluca-mlssoccer-com\/","title":{"rendered":"LAFC ready for “special” Champions Cup test at Toluca | MLSSoccer.com"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Just one match separates LAFC<\/a> from the 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup<\/a> final.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Those are the stakes for the Black & Gold, who have a 2-1 aggregate advantage<\/a> over Deportivo Toluca entering their semifinal series finale on Wednesday evening in Mexico (9:30 pm ET | FS1, TUDN).<\/p>\n

\u201cWe\u2019re talking about a semifinal,” head coach Marc Dos Santos said in Spanish at Tuesday’s matchday-1 press conference. “All four teams in the semifinals are strong.<\/p>\n

“Any one of the four can win the Champions Cup. We made it this far on our own merits. We won Leg 1 of the semifinals. We know that this is a game for big-time clubs. We\u2019re here, and we want to be in the final.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Scenarios for LAFC or Toluca to reach the Final \ud83c\udfc6@KavakMexico<\/a> pic.twitter.com\/kKaVjufWtk<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 Concacaf Champions Cup (@TheChampions) May 3, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n

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High-powered opposition<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

Thanks to goals from Timothy Tillman<\/a> and Nkosi Tafari<\/a>, LAFC are in the driver’s seat for Leg 2 at Estadio Nemesio D\u00edez. But Toluca’s Jes\u00fas Angulo scored an away goal in Leg 1 last week, giving the club a tenuous advantage against the back-to-back LIGA MX champions.<\/p>\n

Adding an edge, Toluca are coming off a 1-0 loss against Pachuca in Leg 1 of the 2026 LIGA MX Clausura quarterfinals on Sunday. It’s a rare home defeat for a side that’s been dominant at their ground, which sits roughly 8,750 feet above sea level.<\/p>\n

“If I didn\u2019t watch the game, I wouldn\u2019t be doing my job,” Dos Santos said. “Of course I watched the game\u2026 I think it was their first home loss in 25 games, if I\u2019m not mistaken.<\/p>\n

“We know that it\u2019s difficult to play at Toluca. We know we\u2019ll need a special night…\u00a0 Hopefully, tomorrow is a special night for us.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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Tafari delivers in the final moments \ud83d\ude24 pic.twitter.com\/glb8gat6EE<\/a><\/p>\n

\u2014 LAFC (@LAFC) April 30, 2026<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote><\/div>\n

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History on the line<\/h3>\n<\/p>\n

LAFC will likely get a boost on Wednesday, as Denis Bouanga<\/a> is available after serving a card-accumulation suspension for Leg 1. The three-time MLS Best XI forward will look to rekindle his partnership with Son Heung-Min<\/a>, who has a competition-high seven assists.\u00a0<\/p>\n

That duo could lead LAFC to their third-ever CCC final appearance after runner-up finishes in 2020 and 2023.<\/p>\n

Whichever side comes out on top advances to the May 30 final, where Mexico’s Tigres UANL await after they ousted Nashville SC<\/a>.<\/p>\n

“We have to play a perfect game, and that can be both with or without the ball,” LAFC midfielder\u00a0Stephen Eust\u00e1quio<\/a> said in Spanish. “That’s why I’m 100% comfortable with the team that we’ll play tomorrow.”<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n

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