Son, Bouanga carry LAFC past St. Louis

Photo courtesy of LAFC

The dynamic duo strikes again for LAFC.

The tandem of Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga is starting to become the most dangerous combination in MLS, and just at the right time for LAFC. Bouanga started things off for LAFC and Son finished the job, as he finished with another brace, and LAFC walked out of the Gateway City with another three points courtesy of its 3-0 win over St. Louis City FC.

The two goals by Son in St. Louis gives him eight goals in just eight games. More importantly for LAFC (15-7-8, 53 points), the three points earned on Saturday night not only leaves them seven points clear of the Seattle Sounders for the fourth spot in the Western Conference, but also leaves them four points back of both San Diego FC and the Vancouver Whitecaps for the top spot in the conference with one more match in hand.

LAFC opened the scoring with a little good fortune in the 15th minute. St. Louis’s Conrad Wallen made a back pass, but didn’t see Bouanga within his vicinity, and sure enough, Bouanga took the ball, dribbled forward with a couple of touches, then fired a right-footed shot just outside the penalty area that beat keeper Roman Burki near post to give LAFC the early lead.

Then it became the Son show from thereon. Son scored LAFC’s second goal just before halftime, as Artem Smolyakov found Son on a forward pass, and despite being marked by Timo Baumgartl still managed to dribble into the penalty area, then fired a left-footed shot past Burki into the back net for a stoppage time strike that gave LAFC a demoralizing two-goal cushion right as the first half expired. Son got his brace in the 60th minute, as Marky Delgado led an LAFC break, played a ball to Smolyakov inside the penalty area, Smolyakov then passed to Son, who then overcame heavy marking from Alfredo Morales to create a sightline and fire a right-footed shot that got past the St. Louis defense and Burki into the back net to triple the LAFC advantage and basically put the game out of reach.

LAFC is back at it at home on Sunday evening against Atlanta United.