TUKWILA – At some point it wasn’t Wednesday.

Los Angeles FC converted a last-minute penalty to beat the Sounders 1-0 in the U.S. Open Cup semifinals at Starfire Stadium on Wednesday. The Black & Gold will host Sporting Kansas City in the Open Cup final in September.

SKC defeated USL Championship club Indy Eleven 2-0 on Wednesday to advance.

Wednesday’s loss is the Sounders’ fourth defeat to LAFC this season in three different competitions. The Black & Gold have won two MLS games and eliminated the Sounders in the Leagues Cup quarterfinals earlier this month.

Referee Ricardo Fierro immediately pointed to the penalty spot and called a foul on Sounders midfielder Pedro de la Vega in the box in the 81st minute. In the 83rd minute, Fierro also showed de la Vega and Sounders defender Alex Roldan yellow cards as both argued against a handball.

LAFC striker Denis Bouanga stepped up to take the penalty and fired it past goalkeeper Andrew Thomas.

Sounders striker Jordan Morris thought he had equalized in the 91st minute, but he was offside and the shot on the goal line was not checked.

The Open Cup began in 1913 and is considered the third oldest continuously played national tournament in the world. The single-elimination tournament was paused in 2020 and 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

The Sounders are four-time champions, their last victory coming in 2014. Sporting and Chicago Fire also have four wins, and SKC won its fourth title in 2017.

Starfire was retrofitted with LED signage, at least four cameras on podiums and additional seating for about 4,000 fans, most wearing Sounders gear while a few dozen LAFC fans were sectioned off on a grassy knoll in the southwest corner of the field’s perimeter.

The 54-acre complex is operated as a nonprofit to make soccer inclusive. The field is 5 yards narrower and 6 yards shorter than Seattle’s home turf at Lumen.

Seattle’s first half was entertaining, even if nothing happened. The Sounders didn’t concede an early goal and defended well. Early goals were a problem in their last losses to LAFC.

However, due to their defensive work, they were unable to take a single shot on goal in the first half.

Jackson Ragen denied the Black & Gold’s best attempt of the first half. The Sounders center back was on the goal line when striker Kei Kamara fired a volley toward the net. The ball deflected off Ragen’s head to tie the game in the 40th minute.

Aaron Long tested Thomas in the 62nd minute. The game began with a free kick from about 20 meters out, Long directed the ball towards goal. Thomas made a diving save and the resulting corner kick was saved.

LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo made five changes to the starting lineup that beat Seattle in the Leagues Cup at Lumen. Cherundolo’s selection was also heavily altered since LAFC lost away to Columbus in the Leagues Cup final, a 3-1 victory for the Crew.

Polish international Mateusz Bogusz, who scored two goals against Seattle this season, came on as a substitute in the 68th minute.

The only change Sounders coach Brian Schmetzer made since last week’s MLS win at Minnesota was bringing in Thomas to replace Stef Frei in goal. Thomas has been a regular since Seattle entered the tournament in the round of 32 this year.

Schmetzer’s first substitution was midfielder de la Vega (Paul Rothrock) in the 75th minute.

Seattle’s busy schedule continues with a Cascadia derby on Saturday against Portland (10-9-7). The Sounders (11-8-7) are currently fifth in the Western Conference and the Timbers are seventh.