Playing its final home game of the regular season, LAFC looked to check off several boxes in that were at stake in its final game in front of its home fans.
Get a win to snap a four-match winless streak; check. Move up the Western Conference standings; check. Clinch a playoff berth and thus get a chance to defend its title; check. Denis Bouanga carried the load for LAFC on Wednesday night against Minnesota United, as his hat trick in the first half was all LAFC needed to get going to the 5-1 win at BMO Stadium.
“Just continue the course and keep working, put your head down, put in the hard work on the training field, which guys have done, and that’s it,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “We were quite happy with our ball progression tonight, from back to front. The speed of play was a little quicker. The speed of passing was faster. Less touches on the ball, which will increase speed of play.”
Bouanga’s hat trick puts him at 17 goals on the season, one goal ahead of Cincinnati’s Luciano Acosta in the race for the league’s Golden Boot. More importantly, LAFC moves up one spot to third place in the standings, and are well in the race for the second seed. Seattle currently occupies that spot, and held onto it by virtue of defeating the LA Galaxy on a second half stoppage time goal, though LAFC is just one point behind them with two matches left to play.
“We just want to have six points in the next two games,” Bouanga said. “We want to finish at the second place
[in the Western Conference]. It will be the main goal for the rest of the regular season for LAFC.”
Such a result seemed unlikely considering how the match started. Minnesota took the lead just three minutes into the match, as Bongokuhle Hlongwane passed to Emmanuel Reynoso inside the penalty area, Reynoso played a ball off LAFC’s Mateusz Bogusz into the six-yard box, Reynoso fired a ball off keeper Maxime Crepeau, but the ball stayed inside the six and Hassani Dotson swooped in and headed a ball into the open net to give the Loons the early lead.
However, it was all LAFC from there. Minnesota’s lead only last two minutes, as LAFC held the ball not too far from Minnesota’s penalty area, Carlos Vela played a ball to Bogusz inside the box, Bogusz chested the ball down and it fell to the feet of Bouanga, who took a quick touch, then blasted a left-footed shot past keeper Dayne St. Clair far post to level matters. LAFC then took the lead in the 36th minute, as Vela played a ball to an overlapping Diego Palacios, and the left back took the ball towards the endline, then chipped a ball towards the penalty spot, but it didn’t faze Bouanga, as he shot a right-footed laser past St. Clair to LAFC in front. Bouanga capped off his first-half hat trick at the start of stoppage time, as coming off a corner, Bouanga brought a ball down inside the right side of the penalty area, Bouanga dribbled forward, then fired a right-footed volley that snuck past St. Clair at the far post.
“I feel really good, I’m really happy that I scored the first hat trick here in Los Angeles,” Bouanga said. “I really wanted it, and I think I scored this first [home]hat trick because of the team. I’m really thankful for the coach and my team. We really wanted to win the last game at home, and we’re happy that we won 5-1.”
The second half was mere window dressing for LAFC. Goal number four, which came just a minute into the half, actually came courtesy of Minnesota, as Palacios crossed into the penalty area, Cristian Olivera flicked a ball inside the six that deflected off Minnesota defender Miguel Tapias and went in across the goal line at the far post for a Minnesota own-goal. Filip Kratsev capped off LAFC’s dominant night in the 67th minute, as he pounced on a loose ball at the halfway line and broke for goal. Kratsev dribbled all the way into the penalty area and fired a ball that best St. Clair far post to make if a five-goal night for LAFC.
