The Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) remained unbeaten in MLS play with a 2-1 win over FC Dallas on Saturday night at BMO Stadium. Timothy Tillman and Denis Bouanga scored for the home side who are now 3-0-1 on the season for 10 points. The Club is tied for second place in the Western Conference and is one of four MLS teams without a loss this season.
Tillman gave LAFC a 1-0 lead just 2:14 into the game, scoring the fifth fastest goal in LAFC history. In the 35th minute, FC Dallas was reduced to 10 men after Ema Twumasi was shown a red card. Despite being down a man, Dallas equalized in the 73rd minute when Nkosi Tafari poked the ball home from close range to tie the score at 1-1. However, Bouanga, who played 90 minutes for Gabon in an Africa Cup of Nations qualifier against Sudan on Thursday and only returned to Los Angeles today, grabbed a late winner for LAFC in the 84th minute to help the club improve to 3-0-0 at home in MLS play this season.
NEWS & NOTES
- With the win, LAFC is now 3-0-1 on the season for 10 points.
- LAFC is one of four teams, along with the expansion St. Louis City SC, the Seattle Sounders and FC Cincinnati that is yet to lose a game in MLS this season.
- This is the fourth time in LAFC’s six seasons in MLS that the club is unbeaten in its opening four games of the season.
- LAFC has scored two or more goals in all three of its home games in MLS this season.
- With nine goals this season, LAFC are the fifth-highest scoring team in MLS. All four of the teams ahead of LAFC have played five games compared to LAFC’s four.
- LAFC’s three goals conceded this season are tied for the third fewest in MLS this season.
- Nkosi Burgess scored for FC Dallas in the 73rd minute. That goal snapped a streak of 259 consecutive minutes without a goal conceded for LAFC dating back to the season opening with over Portland -- That stretch is the longest in LAFC’s history.
- Denis Bouanga’s 83rd minute game-winning goal was his team-best third in MLS play this season and sixth in all competitions. He now has a goal or an assist in all three MLS games that LAFC has played this season at BMO Stadium.
- Carlos Vela was credited with the assist on Bouanga’s goal. He is now tied with Bouanga and Jose Cifuentes for the team-lead with two assists this season.
- Timothy Tillman has now scored in each of his last two home games. He joins Bounaga and Vela as the only players with multiple goals for LAFC in all competitions this year.
- Tillman’s goal came just 2:14 into the game, making it the fifth fastest goal in LAFC history.
- Jesus Murillo made his 70th regular season appearance in the game while Mahala Opoku made his 45th. Each have been with LAFC for the entirety of their MLS careers.
LAFC will be back in action on Saturday, April 1 when the club travels to Colorado to face the Rapids. That game will kick off at 6:30 p.m. PT and can be seen live on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV.
