Hugo Lloris made three saves to help Los Angeles FC preserve a scoreless draw against D.C. United on Saturday in Washington.
Sean Johnson had one save for D.C. (5-7-10, 25 points), which has won just one of its last 11 matches but remains in contention for a playoff berth for the first time since 2019.
The clean sheet was the 11th this year for Lloris, who shut out the first six MLS opponents this year for Los Angeles (10-7-6, 36 points).
LAFC needed stellar work from their goalkeeper as they struggled to generate quality chances. Los Angeles has put up just two goals while going winless in its last five matches (0-2-3). This was the first of a stretch of five road games in six matches for LAFC.
Before the game was a minute old, D.C. United got their best chance of the first half when Louis Munteanu sent a long cross forward to Joao Peglow, whose header from the middle of the box was stopped with a dive to his right by Lloris.
The best chance for LAFC came in the 36th minute on a transition play when Mathieu Choiniere found Denis Bouanga streaking down the right side of the box. His right-footed attempt from just outside the goal area was smothered by Johnson.
In the 49th minute, D.C. United striker Jackson Hopkins had a chance from the middle of the box, but Lloris tipped his right-footed one-timer over the crossbar.
Lloris made another challenging save in the 63rd minute when he dove to his right to deny an attempt from just outside of the box by Munteanu, who received the ball after a Los Angeles giveaway.
Peglow had two more left-footed chances from outside the box. One was wide and the other high.
Los Angeles had the game’s final chance, seven minutes into second-half stoppage time, when it was awarded a free kick from 10 yards outside the penalty box. But Ryan Hollingshead’s right-footed try was wide left.
Los Angeles had more possession at 56.4% but put only one of its 17 shots on frame as it struggled against D.C. United’s 4-3-3 alignment, a departure from their usual 4-4-2.
It was the fifth clean sheet this season for the 37-year-old Johnson.
–Field Level Media
