LAFC won its eighth consecutive game in all competitions and moved to within a point of first place in the Western Conference with a 3-1 road win over Orlando City on Saturday night. Denis Bouanga scored on either side of halftime and Mateusz Bogusz tallied the eventual game-winning goal in the 80th minute to lead LAFC to the win, which was their third straight league win away from home. With the win, the Black & Gold is now 10-4-3 on the season for 33 points.
Both teams were able to create chances in the opening half, but the hosts had the first clear chance to open the scoring when Eduard Atuesta was whistled for fouling Orlando’s Facundo Torres inside the box in the 32nd minute. Torres stepped up to take the ensuing penalty kick but was unable to put his shot on frame and the game remained scoreless.
Five minutes later, LAFC was awarded a penalty of its own when Bouanga was chopped down inside the box. He stepped up and rifled his penalty kick past Orlando goalkeeper Mason Stajduhar to give his team a 1-0 advantage heading into the halftime break.
LAFC maintained that lead until the 69th minute when Orlando was able to equalize. Luis Muriel collected a short pass from Martín Ojeda and then scooped a pass back to Ojeda who volleyed his shot past Hugo Lloris to tie the score at 1-1. That goal was the first allowed by LAFC since May 8, ending a streak of 644 minutes in all competitions without conceding a goal. It was the first goal LAFC has conceded in MLS play in 549 minutes, dating back to May 4.
The score would stay tied for just 11 minutes before the duo of Bogusz and Bouanga teamed up to put LAFC back in front. Bogusz won the ball in the center of his defensive end of the field and played a short pass to Bouanga, who quickly played the ball up the right wing to Bogusz. The Polish forward raced onto the pass and outran the Orlando defense before firing a right-footed shot past Stajduhar to give LAFC a 2-1 lead.
Six minutes later, Bouanga put the game out of reach, collecting a second ball following a Nathan Ordaz run, then dancing past a pair of Orlando City defenders, rounding the goalkeeper, and rolling the ball into the open net to give LAFC a 3-1 victory.
NEWS & NOTES
- With the win, LAFC has now won eight straight games in all competitions and six straight in the league.
- LAFC is just one point behind Real Salt Lake for first place in the Western Conference, with a game in hand.
- Orlando City’s goal in the 69th minute ended LAFC’s club-record scoreless streak of 549 minutes in MLS play and 644 minutes in all competitions.
- Orlando City outshot LAFC 19-12, but LAFC had a 7-1 advantage in shots on goal.
- Denis Bouanga scored twice to move into a tie with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez for third place on the MLS goals scored list, with 12. Only Christian Benteke (13) and Cristian Arango (15) have more goals than Bouanga.
- Bouanga now has six goals and four assists in LAFC’s six-game MLS winning streak and the club is 9-0-1 this season when he records a goal or an assist.
- Mateusz Bogusz scored the game-winning goal in the 80th minute for his seventh goal of the season. He has been involved in 10 goals this year, having also recorded three assists.
- Bogusz has a goal or an assist in all six games during LAFC’s current six-game MLS winning streak. He has three goals and three assists in that time.
- Nathan Ordaz was credited with an assist on Bouanga’s 86th minute goal, giving him two on the season, setting a new career-high for a single season.
LAFC continues its current two-game road trip on Wednesday, June 19 when the team travels to the Lone Star State to face Austin FC (MLS Season Pass on Apple TV, 710 AM ESPN LA, 980 AM La Mera La Mera [Español]). Kickoff is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. PT.
