Denis Bouanga took a dramatic extra-time winner to send Los Angeles FC to the Club World Cup with a 2-1 (extra time) victory at the club America of Mexico on Saturday.
The Mexico City team seemed to have booked their place – and the guaranteed $ 9.5 million (£ 8 million) participation pay – after a fine of former Lafc player Brian Rodriguez in the 64th minute.
But the Brazilian Igor Jesus' 89th minute for Lafc took the game in extra time and five minutes from the end of the second period, Bouanga drilled the dramatic winner home.
It was a game with high bet that was played for a noisy crowd divided between the two teams and the tension could be felt from the start.
But it was the Californian club, which only started in MLS seven years ago, who triumphed and earned a place in the first edition of the extensive FIFA tournament of 32 teams.
Lafc will be in line in Group D of the Club World Cup, where they will be dealing with the Premier League side Chelsea, the Flamengo and Esperance Tunis of Tunisia in the tournament that starts on 14 June.
The one-off 'play-in' match came about after the FIFA decision to ban the Mexican club Leon from the tournament.
Leon was excluded because the club is owned by Grupo Pachuca, who also controls Liga MX side Pachuca, who also participate in the tournament.
Lafc got the chance based on the second place in Leon in the Concacaf Champions League 2023.
America, founded 108 years ago, got the chance because of their status as the “top-ranged team” in the ranking of Confederation.
While Lafc had the nominal advantage of the home field, California is the home base of many Club America fans at their BMO stage and the result was a de facto neutral location.
The atmosphere was electric, but the opportunities were rare in the first half, in which the Mexican team enjoyed the better property, but few problems caused La's former French goalkeeper Hugo Lloris.
But when Mark Delgado's challenge on Erick Sanchez was ruled in the box, a mistake, after a VAR review, replacement Rodriguez kept his cool and sent Lloris the wrong way to put America first.
Rodriguez had the chance to secure the outcome 10 minutes later, but he drove his shot wide.
However, the introduction of former France and Arsenal striker Olivier Giroud in the 74th minute turned out to be decisive, with the presence of the 38-year-old who caused many problems for the America back line.
Thundering header
Giroud's improvised shot with the outside of his foot forced Luis Malagon in a rescue and a little later the club America keeper held a header outside the Frenchman.
With another minute over, Lafc took a lifeline when a Bouanga corner was met with a thunderous header of Jesus.
Lafc almost won the game in regulations, but Malagon did brilliant to keep a cross/shot by Timothy Tillman out that ran to the top corner.
Then it was extra time and with the fines, Frankie Amaya fed a ball to giroud on the edge of the box that derived from the on-Rushing Bouanga whose fierce shot took a bad cashoo and flashed along the helpless Malagon.
Gabon International, born in France, scored 80 goals for LA in all competitions, since he came to the club from Saint Etienne in 2022, but nothing more valuable than this one.
The victory ensures that the Host Nation tournament will already have three competing teams of Major League Soccer with the Seattle Sounders and Inter Miami in the competition.
The tournament ends with a final at Metlife Stadium in New Jersey on July 13, with the winner taking home more than $ 100 million (£ 84.2 million).