LOS ANGELES — Denis Bouanga netted a pair of goals, while Son Heung-min scored in his third consecutive match since the World Cup break, leading Los Angeles FC to a commanding 4-0 victory over Sporting Kansas City on Saturday night. This win marked LAFC’s fourth straight triumph.
In a dominant first half, David Martínez also scored, contributing to a 3-0 lead for LAFC, which has remained unbeaten since May 17. Bouanga capped off his performance with a second goal in the 85th minute, bringing his season total to 10 goals in 17 appearances.
With both Son and Bouanga finding the net in each game since the break, LAFC has outscored its last three opponents by a remarkable 10-1. The team is now tied with Vancouver and San Jose at the top of the Western Conference standings, each holding 33 points and 10 wins, although the Whitecaps and Quakes have games in hand.
Hugo Lloris made just one save during the match, securing his MLS-leading 10th clean sheet for LAFC.
Sporting Kansas City struggled offensively, failing to register a shot on target until the 77th minute, which kept them at the bottom of the Western Conference rankings.
Son opened the scoring in the fifth minute, utilizing a lead pass from Mark Delgado to break away from defender Wyatt Meyer and net his third goal of the season. After initially struggling to score in his first 13 matches for LAFC despite leading the MLS in assists, the former Tottenham star seems rejuvenated now that the World Cup pressures have eased.
Bouanga increased LAFC’s advantage in the 37th minute with a textbook counterattack. The French forward received a long pass from Mathieu Choinière, shrugged off a defender, and found the back of the net.
In injury time, Bouanga’s assist allowed Martínez to embark on a counterattack with Son, leading to Martínez’s sixth goal of the season.
LAFC sealed the dominant performance with another counter goal late in the match when Ryan Porteous sent a long pass to Tyler Boyd, who set up Bouanga for his second goal.
LAFC: Will face Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday.