Recap: Espérance Sportive de Tunis VS Los Angeles FC 2025-06-20
"El-Blaali’s Late Kick Saves LAFC from a Date with History… and Embarrassment"
In a match that could be subtitled “The Art of Doing Nothing Exciting,” Espérance Sportive de Tunis (ES Tunis) stunned MLS darlings Los Angeles FC (LAFC) 1-0 in a second-round FIFA Club World Cup clash that had all the drama of a Netflix pilot that’s forgotten its premise. The lone goal came via Youssef El-Blaali, who single-handedly kept ES Tunis’ “three-time Club World Cup winners” résumé from looking like a dusty old trophy shelf.
Key Stats to Chew On:
- LAFC’s “Home” Advantage: Geodis Park had been a fortress for LAFC, where they’d previously beaten Nashville 2-0 in 2024. On Friday? More like Geodis Prison. The Californians managed zero shots on target, a stat that’s either a record or a cry for help.
- El-Blaali’s Late Heroics: The Tunisian striker scored in the 83rd minute, proving that if you wait until your audience is napping, you might just steal a win.
- LAFC’s Struggles: Olivier Giroud, Denis Bouanga, and the rest of LAFC’s “fearsome” attack combined for… zero goals. Zero! As in, the same number of CAF Champions League titles ES Tunis hasn’t won.
- Unbeaten Streaks? What Unbeaten Streaks? ES Tunis had just lost their 11-game unbeaten streak to Flamengo, while LAFC was fresh off a 10-game losing streak (they beat Chelsea, but let’s not dwell). Together, they made a beautiful, baffling mess.
Why It Matters:
ES Tunis moves closer to adding a fourth Club World Cup title to their résumé (33 league titles and 15 cups, but who’s counting?), while LAFC’s “first-ever Club World Cup” adventure is already a cautionary tale. The Californians might want to invest in a time machine to fix their midfield—or at least a better striker than “Giroud, but tired.”
Final Whistle:
The match was like a Tunisian-themed episode of Curb Your Enthusiasm: polite, low-scoring, and leaving you wondering if anything actually happened. But hey, at least there’s no betting line anymore. The bookies who favored LAFC (-150) probably wept into their spreadsheets.
Next up for ES Tunis: A date with destiny. For LAFC: A group stage exit, probably. Both teams: A lot of awkward press conferences. 🏆⚽
Created: June 21, 2025, 6:35 a.m. GMT