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LAFC returns to the MLS grind against San Jose

April 18, 2026

So much has happened since Stephen Eustáquio last played for the Los Angeles Football Club.

Sunday’s MLS meeting against San Jose at BMO Stadium will be LAFC’s ninth match since the Canadian international bumped into referee Drew Fischer during a 1-0 win against Dallas on March 7. That moment prompted a series of events that led to the smooth midfielder spending the past month in Portugal recovering from a bad dead leg.

Working with the staff at FC Porto, which loaned Eustáquio to LAFC through the end of June, let the 29-year-old international reunite with his family before returning fully fit to L.A., where the Black & Gold has charged forward despite his absence

Eustáquio can catch up on all of LAFC’s success this weekend.

Physically and mentally ready, he flew to L.A. on Friday, joined his teammates at the performance center Saturday, and will watch Sunday at BMO Stadium.

“He’s fully fit to integrate at 100 percent with us,” LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos said. “It’s a question of getting him back with the ball, training and ready for us. But we should see him in the field somewhere next week.”

LAFC played with clinical control when Eustáquio started, going 5-0-0 and outscoring opponents 13-1. Contributing a goal and two assists, his departure from the lineup was met with fears from fans that LAFC would suffer without him.

Thanks in part to another Canadian midfielder, that has not been the case. Stepping in for Eustáquio, spark plug Mathieu Choinière started seven of the eight games that his countryman missed.

“Both of them have their own qualities,” attacking midfielder Timothy Tillman said. “I think Steph is someone who brings a lot of control. Yeah, just helps us having possession, finding those pockets really well, has good passing. He controls and dictates the game a lot.

“I think a lot of Mathieu’s qualities are that he is someone that is always pushing, pushing and running wherever he’s needed. He’s always going there and always running there. Especially this year, he’s had some good games offensively.”

Choinière, 27, scored both goals for LAFC in their first league game once Eustáquio was sidelined. He played all but three minutes during the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 against Costa Rica’s Alajuelense and the quarterfinal with Cruz Azul.

After contributing a pair of assists in the first leg versus Cruz Azul, Choinière helped LAFC seal a semifinal berth on Tuesday in Puebla.

Winning 4-1 on aggregate delivered another massive Mexican test: Deportivo Toluca FC.

That home-and-away series begins April 29 in L.A., and closes May 6 at 8,750 feet above sea level inside the intimidating Estadio Nemesio Díez.

All the while, the congested schedule stretches the squad’s depth – a consequence of winning they all welcome. Through a run of 13 games from April 4 to May 17. LAFC gets no more than four days of rest between them.

Next they must contend with a trio of MLS contests and the resumption of CONCACAF over an 11-day span.

LAFC was perfect in the league until last weekend, when a heavily rotated team conceded late to lose 2-1 in Portland. Swedish midfielder Amin Boudri, 21, missed the opportunity to play with a tight hamstring and is unavailable for a couple more weeks.

Coming off the high of beating Cruz Azul, Dos Santos suggested that the “very difficult” and “very compact” Earthquakes should count among the “big” opponents LAFC played in the early going.

Second in the Western Conference, San Jose (6-1-0, 18 points) scored 13 goals and, like third-place LAFC (5-1-1, 16 points), conceded just twice. The visitors, 3-0-0 on the road, will attempt to become the first MLS opponent to score on and take points off LAFC in five games at home this season. Said Dos Santos: “What is important, and what we spoke about, is to switch on again.”

San Jose at Kings

When: 4 p.m. Sunday

Where: BMO Stadium

TV/radio: Apple TV/710 AM, 980 AM, 1230 AM

Orange County Register

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LAFC returns to the MLS grind against San Jose

San Jose at Kings

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