Bouanga Scores Twice as LAFC Defeats Austin FC 3-1 to End Winless Streak
LOS ANGELES — LAFC returned to winning form Wednesday night, defeating Austin FC 3-1 at BMO Stadium behind a two-goal performance from Denis Bouanga and another influential display from Son Heung-min.
The victory ended LAFC's four-match winless streak and provided a much-needed boost as the Black & Gold continued their push for a stronger position in the Western Conference playoff race.
Playing in front of a capacity crowd on Hello Kitty Night, LAFC controlled much of the opening half but struggled to turn its opportunities into goals. The home side outshot Austin 13-5 before halftime, repeatedly testing the visitors' defense while searching for the breakthrough.
Despite LAFC's attacking pressure, Austin goalkeeper Brad Stuver kept the match scoreless through the opening 45 minutes, producing several important saves to frustrate the Black & Gold.
The breakthrough finally arrived in the 52nd minute.
Mark Delgado started the move with a pass down the right side to Son, who worked his way between two Austin defenders before finding Bouanga unmarked in front of goal. The Gabon international finished from close range to give LAFC a 1-0 advantage.
Austin responded in the 66th minute when Brandon Vazquez capitalized on a pass from Myrto Uzuni, driving a low shot past Hugo Lloris to bring the visitors level at 1-1.
But the equalizer lasted only a minute.
LAFC immediately regained the lead when an attempted clearance by Stuver struck Son inside the penalty area and fell to Bouanga. The forward controlled the ball and finished past the Austin goalkeeper for his second goal of the night and 17th of the MLS season.
With momentum firmly back on LAFC's side, the Black & Gold added a third goal in the 72nd minute.
Bouanga won an aerial challenge near midfield, sending the ball toward Jacob Shaffelburg on the left wing. Shaffelburg delivered an early cross into the penalty area, where Son met the ball with a first-time finish to extend LAFC's advantage to 3-1.
The goal capped an impressive night for Son, who finished with one goal and two assists. His performance brought his regular-season assist total to 15, tying Carlos Vela's club record for assists in a single MLS season.
Bouanga was equally influential, contributing two goals and an assist while continuing to establish himself as LAFC's leading offensive threat. His brace brought him to 17 league goals this season and marked his fourth multi-goal performance of the year across all competitions.
LAFC finished with a commanding 28-13 advantage in shots, including 13 attempts on target. Stuver recorded 10 saves for Austin, preventing the final margin from becoming even larger.
The result also marked an important milestone for interim head coach Xavi Tamarit, who earned his first victory in charge of LAFC after overseeing a 1-1 draw against Vancouver in his debut.
With the win, LAFC improved to 12-9-9 with 45 points, remaining sixth in the Western Conference but moving within two points of fourth place. Securing a top-four finish would give the Black & Gold home-field advantage in the opening round of the MLS Cup Playoffs.
For LAFC, the victory represented more than three points. After a difficult stretch of results, the attacking partnership between Bouanga and Son once again demonstrated its ability to change a match in a matter of minutes.
The Black & Gold will look to build on that momentum when they travel to face New York City FC on October 17, continuing their push toward the postseason.
Comments