SANTA CLARA, Calif. — Twelve minutes into Saturday’s match against the San Jose Earthquakes, the Los Angeles Football Club already accomplished something they had not done since mid-July.
Making the most of their first three shots at Levi’s Stadium from star forwards Son Hueng-min and Denis Bouanga, LAFC scored more times than any of their previous eight matchups.
A stunning 3-0 lead held up for a 4-2 victory, extending LAFC’s road unbeaten streak to nine games.
Son ensured LAFC (12-7-8, 44 points) got off to a quick start in an important Major League Soccer Western Conference showdown with the third fastest goal in LAFC history.
Collecting a simple cross from fullback Artem Smoliakov 53 seconds after the opening whistle, Son’s first goal in the run of play for LAFC, a tap-in, preceded Bouanga’s pair from the 9th to 12th minute.
Bouanga’s initial score came unassisted following a run from midfield. As Son pulled defenders with him to the middle, the French forward dribbled into the box and fired his shot past Brazilian goalkeeper Daniel. The second came off a perfectly timed run that kept Bouanga onside to receive a pass from Sergi Palencia and chip Daniel.
San Jose (9-13-8, 35 points) got on the board six minutes later with a Preston Judd finish inside the box from an assist by former LAFC striker Cristian Arango, who remains the fastest goal scorer in Black & Gold with a 20-second goal against Real Salt Lake in 2021.
The game settled after Judd’s goal, and LAFC didn’t put another shot on target until Bouanga did shortly before Son was subbed out in the 80th minute for David Martínez.
In hot pursuit of what would be an MLS record third consecutive 20-goal season, Bouanga added his 18th of the year in the 87th minute on Palencia’s second assist of the day. The goal was the 93rd of Bouanga’s LAFC career, tying Carlos Vela for the most in club history.
San Jose’s second of the game also came courtesy of Palencia when off an own-goal in the 90th minute.
For the second consecutive MLS contest, Son’s participation correlated with an attendance record. On Aug. 31, a record crowd turned out to watch the South Korean’s home debut at BMO Stadium.
Following a two-week international break, Son’s appearance in San Jose helped deliver the largest standalone crowd for an Earthquakes match with an announced attendance of 50,978.
