Son, Bouanga propel LAFC to second consecutive victory

Back in front of the home fans at BMO Stadium for the first time since May 24, LAFC looked to put on a show and continue its momentum from a statement showing in Carson against the Galaxy. They did just that, earning a 3-1 victory over Real Salt Lake to grab three points for the second consecutive match. 

Son Heung-min, after going scoreless through the first 13 matches of the season, made it back-to-back games with a goal after putting the Black & Gold in front in minute 11. He used some elusive dribbling to free himself for a left-footed strike from just beyond the box, which found its way precisely to the bottom left corner of the net.

Son's 11 goal contributions so far trail only Denis Bouanga for the club lead, with the duo continuing to spearhead LA's attack. 

Bouanga even found a goal of his own before the conclusion of the half, finishing off some impressive LAFC passing with a shot buried into the right side of the net in minute 40. He was led perfectly down the pitch on a well-placed through ball from Mathieu Choinière before dancing past Salt Lake defender DeAndre Yedlin to free himself for the shot.

Yedlin's evening only turned more unfortunate in the second half, when his sliding attempt to block a shot from Son in the 68th minute ultimately caromed into the net and extended the LAFC advantage to 3-0. 

Consecutive games with three goals for the Black & Gold are a much-welcomed sight after a tough offensive stretch before the World Cup break. LA had not scored three in a match before the break since April 7 in a Concacaf Champions Cup victory over Cruz Azul (3-0). 

Salt Lake would not go the full 90 minutes without a score, however, managing to get on the board in the 86th minute via defender Lukas Engel. His shot from the left side of the box deflected off the backside of Nkosi Tafari, leaving Hugo Lloris frozen in front of the net as the ball sailed by. 

Engel's score snapped LA's 297-minute streak without conceding a goal, dating back to May 17 against Nashville SC. Lloris still played a big part in the victory, nonetheless, matching a season-high six saves to keep his squad in the driver's seat.

Jon Bryan - The Sporting Tribune

The Los Angeles FC’s Hugo Lloris #1 kicks the ball during an MLS game against The Real Salt Lake on July 22nd, 2026 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California

LAFC walked away with three significant points against a Salt Lake unit that entered Wednesday's contest just a point behind them on the Western Conference table. Now 9-5-3 and having reached the 30-point mark, the Black & Gold trail both the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes by just two points for first place.

On deck is a Saturday night duel back at BMO Stadium against Sporting KC, currently sitting last in the Western Conference with a record of 4-10-2. It will be the first of two meetings between the sides this season.

Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.