LAFC forward Denis Bouanga was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday for Matchday 14 of the 2024 MLS season.
Bouanga scored both goals in LAFC’s 2-0 road win over St. Louis CITY SC on Wednesday night, which marked the club’s first road win this season. The Gabonese international scored his seventh and eighth goals of the season, making the defending Golden Boot winner one of just six players with at least eight goals this season.
Bouanga’s strike in the 59th minute proved to be the game-winning goal and is the 10th game-winning score of his career. He joins Carlos Vela (19) as the only players in club history with double-digit game-winning goals. In his career, approximately 35% of Bouanga’s regular-season goals have proved to be game-winners (10 of 29).
With the game scoreless in the 59th minute, Bouanga broke the deadlock when he snuck past the St. Louis defense, gathered a long pass from Mateusz Bogusz, and struck a well-hit volley into the net for a 1-0 advantage.
As St. Louis pushed for an equalizer, Bouanga pounced on a loose ball, dribbled nearly 50 yards and chipped the ball over the opposing goalkeeper to seal all three points in the 90+5’. With the victory, LAFC moved up to third in the Western Conference standings with 21 points (6W-4L-3D).
Bouanga has earned his first MLS Player of the Matchday honor since he took home the award on Matchday 36 of 2023. This is the third Player of the Matchday honor of Bouanga’s MLS career, joining Carlos Vela (nine) and Diego Rossi (three) as the only players in LAFC history to earn at least three Player of the Matchday awards.
Bouanga and LAFC next take the pitch in U.S. Open Cup action at BMO Stadium on Tuesday, May 21. The Black & Gold face Loudoun United in the Round of 16. The match kicks off at 7:30pm PT. Tickets are available starting at $20.
LAFC then returns to MLS action next week when the team travels to face Atlanta United on Saturday, May 25 (7:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass on Apple TV).
The MLS Player of the Matchday is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while an X (formerly known as Twitter) fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.
2024 MLS Player of the Matchday Winners
Matchdays 1 and 2 - Christian Benteke - D.C. United
Matchday 3 - Luis Suárez - Inter Miami CF
Matchday 4 - Giorgos Giakoumakis - Atlanta United
Matchday 5 - Luis Suárez - Inter Miami CF
Matchday 6 - Lewis Morgan - New York Red Bulls
Matchday 7 - Cristian “Chicho” Arango - Real Salt Lake
Matchday 8 - Raúl Ruidíaz - Seattle Sounders FC
Matchday 9 - Lionel Messi - Inter Miami CF
Matchday 10 - Cristian “Chicho” Arango - Real Salt Lake
Matchday 11 - Lionel Messi - Inter Miami CF
Matchday 12 - Lionel Messi - Inter Miami CF
Matchday 13 - Christian Benteke - D.C. United
Matchday 14 - Denis Bouanga - Los Angeles Football Club
