Sports
LAFC is best in the West after surging past rival Galaxy on Decision Day
LAFC had no margin for error heading into its regular-season finale Saturday.
To finish atop the Western Conference table, it needed to beat the San José Earthquakes, needed the Galaxy to lose in Houston and needed to overcome a two-score deficit to the Galaxy in goal differential.
It got all three, thanks to an improbable finish in Houston, where Daniel Steres scored for the Dynamo 11 minutes into stoppage time to take the title away from the Galaxy and give it to LAFC.
“Unbelievable, unbelievable,” LAFC defender Ryan Hollingshead said, holding an LAFC championship hat from 2022, his first year with the team. “For it to happen in that manner? What a story.”
LAFC will open the postseason next week, facing the winner of a wild-card game between the Portland Timbers and Vancouver Whitecaps in a best-of-three series. LAFC will play the first three rounds of the postseason at home, where it has the best record in MLS since entering the league in 2018.
But whatever drama the playoffs have in store will have trouble matching what happened Saturday. When LAFC defender Marlon came off the bench to score on a header in the first minute of stoppage time at BMO Stadium, sealing a 3-1 win over the Earthquakes, it left LAFC (19-8-7) and the Galaxy even on points and wins atop the conference table and gave the black and gold a one-score edge in differential, the tiebreaker.
While LAFC was celebrating in Los Angeles, the Galaxy’s Gabriel Pec scored on a penalty kick in stoppage time in Houston, seemingly setting them up to secure a draw and the point they needed to clinch the title and home-field advantage in the conference playoffs.
That too was only temporary because their title was snatched away seconds later when Steres, a former Galaxy defender, scored on a header on the last meaningful touch of the game, giving the Dynamo a 2-1 win and sending the title back to LAFC.
Hollingshead was on the field celebrating with teammates but unaware of the situation in Houston — until he heard a roar from the fans, who were watching the Galaxy game on their phones.
“The whole stadium went crazy,” he said. “That’s how I knew.”
The first two LAFC goals came 11 minutes apart in the second half, the first from Denis Bouanga to tie the score in the 64th minute and the second from Eduard Atuesta to put his team ahead.
It was a long climb back in a short time for LAFC, which fell behind when Jackson Yueill’s first goal of the season gave San José a 1-0 halftime lead. Defender Paul Marie set up the goal, pushing the ball into the box for Yueill, who reached out his right foot to control it, eluded LAFC’s Eddie Segura, then beat keeper Hugo Lloris cleanly from just outside the six-yard box.
Olivier Giroud appeared to tie the score for LAFC eight minutes later, rounding Earthquakes keeper Daniel and putting a right-footed shot into an empty net. But the LAFC striker was offside and assistant referee Felisha Mariscal was quick to raise her flag, disallowing the goal.
The scoreless first half against the league’s most porous defense triggered a harsh halftime speech from LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, whose team had one shot on goal in the first 45 minutes.
“There were some words for sure,” he said. “Inspirational? Probably not. Emotional? Very much.”
Cherundolo, who has taken LAFC to the conference title twice, wanted his team to play with more urgency. And in the second half it did, with Bouanga and Atuesta converting.
The sequence on Bouanga’s goal began with midfielder Timothy Tillman bending a cross toward Giroud in the center of the box. San José defender Rodrigues headed the ball away but it fell at Bouanga’s feet near the right edge of the penalty area and he did the rest, lining a right-footed shot into the back of the net for his 20th goal of the season.
The goal was the 76th the Earthquakes have given up, most in MLS history. But it wouldn’t be the last with Atuesta putting LAFC ahead to stay, scoring from almost the same spot seconds after coming off the bench.
The goal, Atuesta’s second since March 30, gave him a career-high four for the season and set the stage for the stoppage-time fireworks, where Marlon’s header gave LAFC the conference title.
“To be honest, this was pretty cool,” Cherundolo said.
With its 25th loss, San José matches the 1999 MetroStars for most in a season.
Sports
Anthony Richardson free to seek trade after injury setbacks amid Colts’ shift to Daniel Jones
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Anthony Richardson Sr.’s future in Indianapolis faces more uncertainty than ever.
The Indianapolis Colts granted Anthony Richardson, the team that used the fourth overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft on the quarterback, permission to explore a trade. His agent, Deiric Jackson, confirmed the latest development in the 23-year-old’s tumultuous career to ESPN on Thursday.
Veteran quarterback Daniel Jones beat out Richardson in a preseason competition for the starting job. Jones made the most of another opportunity as an NFL starter, helping the Colts win eight of their first 10 games of the 2025 regular season.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson heads off the field after an NFL football game against the Denver Broncos on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024 in Denver, Colorado. (AP Photo/David Zalubowski)
However, his season was ultimately derailed by an Achilles injury. The setback came two years after he tore an ACL with the New York Giants. The Colts appear ready to move forward with Jones, clouding Richardson’s future in Indianapolis.
Jones is set to become a free agent in March, meaning the Colts must either use the franchise tag or sign him to a new deal. Richardson has started just 15 games in three seasons with the Colts, his tenure largely shaped by injuries.
A shoulder surgery limited Richardson to four games during his rookie campaign, while a series of setbacks cost him four games in 2024.
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) looks for an open receiver during the game against the Houston Texans at NRG Stadium. (Troy Taormina/Imagn Images)
Richardson suffered what was described as a “freak pregame incident” during warmups last season, landing him on injured reserve after attempting just two passes in two games in 2025. He has thrown 11 touchdowns against 13 interceptions in his NFL career.
Colts general manager Chris Ballard said Tuesday that the vision problems stemming from Richardson’s orbital fracture last October are “trending in the right direction.” He added that Richardson has been “cleared to play.”
Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson (5) celebrates his touchdown against the New York Jets during the fourth quarter at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Brad Penner/Imagn Images)
Riley Leonard, a sixth-round pick in the 2025 NFL Draft, is expected to return to the Colts next season.
When asked about Richardson’s standing with the Colts moving ahead, Ballard replied, “I still believe in Anthony.”
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Sports
Prep talk: Freshman golfer William Hudson of St. John Bosco wins Servite Invitational
William Hudson, a 14-year-old freshman golfer, shot 71 on Monday at Western Hills Country Club in Chino Hills to win the Servite Invitational.
“It was very important to me and my school,” Hudson said.
Some think it’s the first time a St. John Bosco student won an invitational title.
Hudson is a straight-A student who picked up his first golf club when he was 3. He has a daily routine involving practicing at 6 a.m. before heading to school. He’s also enrolled in a school entrepreneur program that involves taking classes at a junior college that will qualify for college credits.
“They are long days, but I get through it,” Hudson said.
He comes from a family that enjoys golf. His great-grandfather played until his death at 98 last year.
“I love how it can take me to interesting places and meet interesting people,” Hudson said. “I can play for the rest of my life. It’s a lifelong sport.”
It’s looking like another strong year for golfers in Southern California, with several individual champions returning, including Jaden Soong of St. Francis and Grant Leary of Crespi.
Now Hudson has thrust himself into the conversation.
This is a daily look at the positive happenings in high school sports. To submit any news, please email eric.sondheimer@latimes.com.
Sports
Dashcam video shows former WWE executive Vince McMahon rear-ending vehicle on Connecticut highway
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Police have released new video showing former WWE Chairman Vince McMahon speeding before crashing his 2024 Bentley Continental GT into another luxury car on a Connecticut highway last summer.
McMahon appeared to be followed by a state trooper in Westport moments ahead of the eventual collision. McMahon’s vehicle reached speeds of more than 100 mph, state police said.
A trooper’s dashcam video showed McMahon accelerating and then braking too late to avoid rear-ending a BMW. The car McMahon was driving then swerved into a guardrail and careened back across the highway. A cloud of dirt, apparently mixed with vehicle debris, was visible in the immediate area of the crash.
WWE owner Vince McMahon enters the arena during WrestleMania at AT&T Stadium on Apr 3, 2022 in Arlington, Texas. (Joe Camporeale/USA Today Sports)
“Why were you driving all over 100 mph?” a state trooper asked McMahon after catching up to the wrecked Bentley.
“I got my granddaughter’s birthday,” McMahon replied, explaining he was on his way to see her. The encounter was recorded on police bodycam video.
No serious injuries were reported in the July 24 crash, which happened the same day former professional wrestler Hulk Hogan died of a heart attack in Florida.
In an image taken from Connecticut State Police police bodycam video, Vince McMahon is questioned in his car after an accident on July 24, 2025, in Westport, Connecticut. (Connecticut State Police via The Associated Press)
Aside from the damage to the rear of the BMW, another vehicle driving on the opposite side of the parkway was struck by flying debris. The driver of that third car happened to be wearing a WWE shirt, police video suggested.
McMahon was cited for reckless driving and following too closely. In October, a state judge allowed him to enter a pretrial probation program that could erase the charges if he completes it successfully.
He was also ordered to make a $1,000 charitable contribution. His attorney, Mark Sherman, called the crash simply an “accident.”
“Not every car accident is a crime,” Sherman said. “Vince’s primary concern during this case was for the other drivers and is appreciative that the court saw this more of an accident than a crime that needed to be prosecuted.”
Vince McMahon attends a press conference to announce that WWE Wrestlemania 29 will be held at MetLife Stadium in 2013 at MetLife Stadium on Feb. 16, 2012 in East Rutherford, New Jersey. (Michael N. Todaro/Getty Images)
State police said a trooper was trying to catch up to McMahon on the parkway and clock his speed before pulling him over. They said the incident was not a pursuit, which happens when police chase someone trying to flee officers. They also said it did not appear McMahon was trying to escape.
“I’m trying to catch up to you, and you keep taking off,” State Police Det. Maxwell Robins said in the video.
“No, no no. I’m not trying to outrun you,” McMahon clarified.
An accident information summary provided to the media shortly after the crash did not mention that a trooper was following McMahon.
The trooper’s bodycam video also shows him asking McMahon whether he was looking at his phone when the crash happened. McMahon said he was not and added he hadn’t driven his car in a long time.
After Robins tells McMahon that his car is fast, McMahon replies, “Yeah, too (expletive) fast.”
Fox News Digital submitted a public records request to obtain the police video, which was first acquired by The Sun.
McMahon stepped down as WWE’s CEO in 2022 amid a company investigation into sexual misconduct allegations. He also resigned as executive chairman of the board of directors of TKO Group Holdings, the parent company of WWE, in 2024, a day after a former WWE employee filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against him. McMahon has denied the allegations. The lawsuit remains pending.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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