Preview | LAFC vs. Minnesota United - 2026 MLS Season

Sunday, November 1 | 5:30 p.m. PT

🏟 | BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA

🖥 | WATCH: Apple TV | Coupang Play (Korea), SpoTV (Korea), Local Bar Partners

📻 | LISTEN: 710 AM ESPN, ESPN LA App, SiriusXM FC 157, KFWB 980 AM La Mera Mera (Spanish), & KYPA 1230 AM (Korean)

LAFC hosts Minnesota United FC at BMO Stadium on Sunday afternoon for the Black & Gold’s home finale, its annual Fan Appreciation match, and a crucial 90-minute test as the regular season draws down to its final two matches. 

The Black & Gold enters the weekend in sixth place in the Western Conference (12W-9L-11D, 47 points), while Minnesota sits in 12th place (9W-12L-11D, 38 points) and is fighting to keep its postseason aspirations alive in a crowded Western Conference race.

ON THE LINE

LAFC has already secured a playoff berth and could potentially rise to fifth place this weekend if San Jose loses or draws its match against Real Salt Lake on Saturday, setting up a sprint to the finish next weekend when every MLS team plays its final regular-season match on Decision Day (Sat. Nov. 1). 

No longer do Western Conference teams have games in hand on the Black & Gold. Every club has played 32 matches, with two matchdays left.

The top four teams in the standings will earn two home games in their Round One, Best-of-3 playoff series.

FAN APPRECIATION

Sunday is Fan Appreciation Day, presented by DoorDash, as LAFC celebrates its supporters throughout BMO Stadium with a pregame Fan Fest, exclusive merch and food discounts, $5 Modelo drafts, special guests, and a fan giveaway courtesy of DoorDash.

SAME STANDARD, NEW SETUP

Interim head coach Xavi Tamarit continues to lead LAFC following the late-season departure of Marc Dos Santos and has led LAFC to a 1W-0L-3D record while instilling his ideas on the fly. Last weekend against the Galaxy, LAFC registered an xG (expected goals) of 3.1 during its 2-2 draw.

Sunday’s rotation of players will likely mix veteran mainstays Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-Min, Hugo Lloris, Yevhen Cherberko, and Ryan Porteous with a mix of young additions including Armindo Sieb, Leo Walta and Sergio Vásquez, as the club continues to access its depth for the first time all season. 

With two full weeks of tactical instruction from Tamarit and his staff, LAFC’s core talent—anchored by elite attacking quality—is eager to earn three points against MNUFC and sharpen its tactical approach for what it believes will be a long postseason run. All-purpose midfielder Mathieu Choinière turned in a strong performance against the Galaxy, while Finnish attacking midfielder Walta continues to make a strong case for increased minutes by providing dynamic directness and elite ball-striking on set pieces as well as in the run of play.

When these two clubs squared off earlier this year, LAFC secured a tight 1-0 victory on the road at Allianz Field – the Black & Gold’s eighth clean sheet in its first 10 matches. LAFC’s defending has kept the club near the top of the conference in fewest goals conceded (35 through 32 matches, 2nd to Vancouver). Minnesota, meanwhile, has navigated a turbulent stretch at the end of a season marked by the Loons’ search for consistency.

IT STARTS UP TOP

Under Tamarit, forward Denis Bouanga, LAFC’s all-time top scorer (126 goals in all competitions in just four years), has floated back and forth between central striker and his familiar role on the left wing. Bouanga has scored eight goals in his last 10 appearances.

Should Bouanga score two combined goals in LAFC’s last two regular-season matches, he would once again make league history. The French-born Gabon international stands with Lionel Messi as the only players in MLS history to eclipse 20 regular-season goals in three consecutive seasons. With 18 MLS goals so far in 2026, Bouanga’s fourth straight 20-goal season is within reach.

Bouanga’s main attacking partner, Son, has played 348 of a possible 360 minutes in the four matches Tamarit has been in charge, including three 90-minute shifts, as he pushes toward his second MLS Cup playoffs. With 15 assists, Son has led MLS for most of this season in that category and now stands just two behind current leader Evander (Cincinnati). With one more, the Korean superstar who joined LAFC in August 2025 will break the club record for single-season assists currently owned by LAFC-captain-turned-owner Carlos Vela. 

Son has recorded 38 total goal contributions (19g/19a) in only 42 MLS appearances, including last year’s playoffs.

SCOUTING MINNESOTA UNITED

The Loons arrive in Los Angeles following a tough stretch of fixtures that has head coach Cameron Knowles’ side chasing the playoff line. Minnesota's defense has conceded 56 goals across 32 league matches this season, fifth-most in the Western Conference.

Offensively, Minnesota United relies heavily on quick, direct transitions and set-piece execution. Striker Kelvin Yeboah and playmaker Joaquín Pereyra continue to lead the attack, but Minnesota has struggled to turn possession into clear-cut chances against compact defensive setups, often leaving their back line exposed to counter-attacks. Yeboah leads the team in goals with 18 and Pereyra leads in assists with 14.

Across all competitions, LAFC holds a strong historical record against Minnesota United (7W-3L-5D), particularly when playing at home at BMO Stadium (5W-1L-1D).

This year the Black & Gold has lost just three home matches all season in league play (8W-3L-5D).

Low-scoring shutouts have defined this series lately. No team has scored more than two goals in this fixture since 2023. These two clubs’ last five meetings have ended either 1-0 or 2-0, with LAFC winning four straight entering Sunday.

LAFC WILL WIN IF

Tamarit’s tactical tweaks unlock space between the lines and LAFC capitalizes early. Minnesota frequently concedes high-quality chances when forced to defend deep. If LAFC’s midfield—supported by the dynamic movement of Son, Bouanga, and Sieb (above)—can unbalance Minnesota early, the Black & Gold should generate early opportunities.

When LAFC scores the first goal, the club is unbeaten in all competitions in 2026 (17W-0L-5D), including 12W-0L-5D in MLS play.

MINNESOTA CAN WIN IF

They absorb early pressure with a disciplined low block and catch LAFC on fast breaks. Minnesota's best path to a result at BMO Stadium requires limiting open-field transitions for Bouanga and Son while capitalizing on set pieces or late defensive lapses from an LAFC squad that after a league-record run of clean sheets to start the season has not recorded one since Sept. 9 (2-0 vs. Red Bull New York).