Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga Forge Unstoppable Partnership, Smash Records in LAFC's Dominant Victory
Son Heung-min has started creating fresh celebration routines with LAFC, and he might require additional ones.
During Saturday evening's match, the South Korean sensation netted twice, while his strike partner Denis Bouanga contributed one goal in a commanding 3–0 triumph over St. Louis CITY SC, elevating Son's tally to eight goals and three assists across just eight appearances since joining MLS.
However, it's not his quickly accumulating offensive statistics that capture attention most. Rather, it's the remarkable 17 consecutive goals scored by either him or Bouanga, as LAFC maintains a four-match winning run, including a triumph against San Jose Earthquakes, two recent 4–1 demolitions of Real Salt Lake, and Matchday 37's success against St. Louis.
This 17-goal sequence began following a 1–1 stalemate at FC Dallas on Aug. 23, and subsequently, the Black and Gold have claimed four victories in six outings, launching themselves into a top-four spot in the Western Conference.
Their combined output also exceeded the prior record for consecutive goals by a partnership, which was established by Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge earlier in the 2025 season.
Although Salt Lake and St. Louis currently sit below the playoff line for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, the effectiveness and connection of this duo through their triumphs have started establishing the foundation for an LAFC squad harboring ambitions of an extended postseason journey.
Simultaneously, each adversary has demonstrated their struggle to contain these attackers, whether deploying a high defensive line attempting to outmaneuver the pair, or adopting a deep defensive block, as St. Louis employed on Saturday.
"I believe those are two exceptional talents, and the remaining eight field players are performing brilliantly in creating opportunities for their success," head coach Steve Cherundolo commented following the game. "They're the ones converting chances currently, but the collective effort that contributes to those moments by everyone is magnificent to observe, and it genuinely represents a team achievement."
Bouanga's Golden Boot Pursuit Under Threat
Bouanga's strike elevated him to 23 goals this campaign, trailing Inter Miami's Lionel Messi by just one, who was held scoreless in a 1–1 tie with Toronto FC. Nevertheless, Bouanga's championship pursuit may face obstacles, as he could be absent for two matches due to international commitments with Gabon.
Though the forward who became the first to net 20 goals in three consecutive seasons remained reserved about his potential unavailability after the match, he indicated he might miss fixtures against Toronto and Austin FC while representing his country, which is approaching qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
If he does miss those two encounters, he would have merely two remaining games to overtake Messi. Meanwhile, the Argentine has four regular-season fixtures left, three against teams already eliminated from playoff consideration.
Cherundolo Reaches Century Milestone
While Bouanga and Son commanded attention in another spectacular attacking display, their contributions helped Cherundolo achieve his 100th victory leading LAFC, as he approaches the conclusion of his final campaign on the sideline.
"On a personal level, it doesn't provide much for me individually. For me, it represents simply an achievement," stated Cherundolo, who guided LAFC to the 2022 MLS Cup during an era characterized by Bouanga, Carlos Vela and Gareth Bale.
"The organization supports this pursuit with quality players and a championship mindset, and everyone is aligned in the same direction at LAFC, so it's something we should collectively celebrate, and I take great pride in it."
Currently, as he approaches the final phase of his coaching tenure with the California club, he finds himself guiding the emerging new generation, and he aspires to lead the team to a second MLS Cup championship to conclude his tenure with the organization.
Before that possibility materializes, however, they must focus on securing that top-four placement and home-field advantage in the opening round best-of-three series, with four regular-season games remaining.