Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-Min push LAFC to top of West

LAFC look like the hottest team in MLS coming out of the 2026 FIFA World Cup break.

Led by stars Denis Bouanga (2g/1a) and Son Heung-Min (1g/0a), the Black & Gold roared to another three points on Saturday night, cruising past Sporting Kansas City, 4-0, at BMO Stadium.

“We evaluated a lot of things during the break,” head coach Marc Dos Santos said postgame. “I think we worked really well during this second preseason, and the commitment of everyone was pretty good. It was not comfortable because the timing of guys joining was a little bit different, but I think the message is really clear.

“Guys are understanding what we want, and they’re applying it very well. But we also know that there’s a challenging month coming here, the month of August with Leagues Cup and all the games, and we’re going to have to be ready for it.”

Bouanga & Son shine

Among all of LAFC’s stars, Bouanga has arguably been the most lethal of late. The Gabonese international winger and three-time MLS All-Star has scored in all three games since the return to play, including two goals and an assist against SKC.

Son gave his team the early lead, and Bouanga doubled the advantage by capitalizing on a rapid counterattacking sequence; he delivered an assist to David Martínez on yet another transition moment right before halftime to make it 3-0, before completing the rout in the final minutes with a cool finish just inside the penalty box.

“I think we’re defending as a whole unit,” defender Ryan Porteous said of what has caused the team’s recent success.

“When you see Bouanga and Martínez today, for example, or [Jacob] Shaffelburg and Tyler Boyd in other games, the wingers are dropping so deep to help our fullbacks out… Ultimately, we want to set up our team in the best way possible to fit our amazing attacking players. I think the system is working just now.”

Like Bouanga, Son has scored in every game since the seven-week World Cup pause, netting his first three regular-season goals to go along with a league-best 10 assists.

The South Korean superstar will participate in his first MLS All-Star Game on Wednesday night as the league's best take on LIGA MX's All-Stars at Charlotte FC's Bank of America Stadium (8 pm ET | Apple TV).

Best of the West

A fourth straight win solidifies LAFC’s status as contenders as the race for the Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs heats up.

The Black & Gold have scored 10 goals in three games since returning to play and now sit in joint-first place in the Western Conference, along with Vancouver Whitecaps FC and the San Jose Earthquakes. Their 33 points are just six points behind league leaders Nashville SC in the Supporters' Shield standings. 

“I love these guys,” Dos Santos said. “When I have two days off, I miss them. I love the group, and I love how they are with each other. At breakfast and lunch, they hang out together. There’s so much behind the scenes, so many details that you guys cannot see. I know how they are together, so when I see the celebrations on the field, it’s normal for me.

“It’s a group that’s coming together. It’s a group that likes each other. I think we’re still going to grow, and I think we’re going to become better. That’s our job as a staff, to keep pushing them.”

Saturday's result tees up a marquee clash at Vancouver on Aug. 1 for first place in the West (7:30 pm ET | Apple TV).

“Vancouver is a team that, for me, was very close to an MLS Cup in Miami last year,” Dos Santos said. “It’s their first game coming back to Vancouver after this Canadian ‘red sea’ that we saw during the World Cup. I think there’s going to be a lot of excitement and a close-to-full stadium over there. It’s going to be hard.

"What I can tell you is that we have to go there with the same level of focus and organization that we’ve shown.”