Wednesday, July 22 | 7:30 p.m. PT
presented by Yaamava'
🏟 | BMO Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
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Coming off a resounding derby win over the Galaxy, and riding a two-match winning streak in MLS regular-season play, LAFC hosts Real Salt Lake Wednesday night on Heung-Min Son Bobblehead Night at BMO Stadium.
LAFC (8W-5L-3D, 27 points) sits in third place in the Western Conference following Friday night’s 3-0 victory over the Galaxy in Carson, Calif., the club’s first game following the eight-week break for the FIFA World Cup.
Real Salt Lake is in fourth place in the West (8W-4L-2D, 26 points). This is the teams’ first meeting of 2026. They will meet again in Utah on September 5.
In their two meetings last season LAFC defeated RSL twice, by identical 4-1 scorelines, just four days apart. Son Heung-Min recorded his first hat trick for LAFC on September 17, 2025, at America First Field, with his third goal assisted by Denis Bouanga, who later added the fourth in LAFC’s 4-1 win. Just 96 hours later at BMO Stadium, their roles were reversed as Bouanga tallied three goals, one of which was assisted by Son, who scored one of his own. It was the first time in MLS history that two players on the same team recorded hat tricks in successive games.
DERBY DONE RIGHT
Son and Bouanga also found the net in last Friday’s 3-0 win over the Galaxy in Carson. Bouanga scored from the penalty spot after he was fouled in the area to give LAFC a 2-0 halftime lead. Son closed out the scoring in the 57th minute, assisted by Mark Delgado, who scored the opener. Bouanga leads LAFC with 12 goals across all competitions, including seven in league play, while Son leads MLS in assists, with nine.
The shutout win was Hugo Lloris’ league-leading ninth clean sheet of the season. No other MLS goalkeeper has more than seven.
RSL REVIEW
So far in 2026, RSL has been a different side than the one that lost 17 MLS matches in 2025 and lost twice to LAFC by a combined 8-2 score.
Led by head coach Pablo Mastroeni, this year’s Real Salt Lake (8W-4L-2D) has scored 26 goals and conceded 19 for a goal differential of plus-7. Midfielder Diego Luna barely missed the United States’ World Cup roster and remains the creative engine and primary focal point of the RSL attack. The 22-year-old California native suffered a preseason knee injury and missed RSL’s first three games; a hamstring knock kept him out of RSL’s most recent MLS match, at Minnesota United. In between, Luna recorded four goals and two assists, twice earning MLS Team of the Matchday honors.
Teenage winger and Utah native Zavier Gozo (pictured below with Artem Smoliakov) was recently selected to his first MLS All Star roster, joining LAFC’s Son Heung-Min. The 19-year-old – who scored one of the goals of the year in LAFC’s 4-1 win in Utah last season – is the first player in league history to be named both an MLS All-Star and MLS NEXT All-Star, highlighting his rapid rise through the league’s player pathway. Gozo was also considered for the USMNT World Cup roster after recording six goals and five assists in this season’s first half. Both totals are tied for the team lead alongside forwards Sergi Solans (six goals, three assists) and Morgan Guilavogui (one goal, five assists).
In its most recent MLS match, Real Salt Lake drew 1-1 with Minnesota United on the road on May 23, with RSL Homegrown Zach Booth scoring his first career MLS goal (assisted by Gozo). MNUFC answered in second-half stoppage time with a set-piece header from Mauricio González to earn a point.
Over its final five matches entering the World Cup break, RSL went 3W-1D-1L. So far this year the club has just one road win in six tries (1W-3L-2D).
Real Salt Lake acquired forward Saba Lobjanidze from Atlanta United over the World Cup break. The 31-year-old Georgia international recorded 15 goals and 21 assists in 93 career appearances for Atlanta United.
LAFC WILL WIN IF
Son and Bouanga rekindle the rhythm they found against RSL in 2025. After Son joined LAFC in August of last year the club built a record of 9W-2L-4T, with Son and Bouanga combining to score 25 goals over those 15 matches. Their combined 22 goal contributions so far in 2026 (eight goals, 14 assists) is nothing to sneeze at, even if Son’s main role has been that of provider. If he and Bouanga can execute the sort of telepathic one-twos and off-the-ball runs that defined LAFC’s post-summer run a year ago, RSL isn’t the only team that will suffer.
RSL CAN WIN IF
Attackers Luna, Gozo, Solans, and Guilavogui can create the game’s first goal. LAFC has won every game this year in which it has scored the opener (12W-0L-0D across all competitions). When LAFC has conceded first its record is 1W-6L-3D. The Claret & Cobalt has the firepower to get on the board first. RSL ranks third in MLS in shots on target per 90 minutes (5.93), trailing only Vancouver and Inter Miami.
The world-class atmosphere at BMO Stadium, however, adds another defender. The Black & Gold has the league’s best home record since it entered MLS in 2018, including a home mark of 5W-2L-1D this season.
