LAFC 3-0 Seattle (July 21, 2024) Match Analysis –

Denis Bouanga scored twice and Mateusz Bogusz also scored to give Los Angeles FC a 3-0 win over home team Seattle Sounders on Saturday night.

Bouanga scored one of the goals on a penalty kick. He is tied for second in goals in MLS with DC United star Christian Benteke. Both players have 16 goals, trailing suspended Real Salt Lake star Cristian “Chicho” Arango, who has 17.

Bogusz scored his 13th goal of the year for LAFC, who have dominated the recent rivalry with the Sounders, going 6-0-2 in their last eight games against Seattle.

Los Angeles (14-5-5, 47 points) has gone 10-1-2 over its last 13 games and remains in second place in the Western Conference behind LA Galaxy.

Seattle (10-8-7, 37 points) saw its seven-game unbeaten streak in MLS (6-0-1) come to an end.

Hugo Lloris made four saves for LAFC to record his ninth shutout of the season. Seattle’s Stefan Frei made one.

The Sounders held a 20-7 advantage in shots and scored five times, compared to LAFC’s four.

Seattle had three good chances to end the shutout in second-half injury time. Lloris made saves from Paul Rothrock and Danny Musovski, but the biggest save came when Raul Ruidiaz beat Lloris and his shot was headed away into the left corner of the net by LAFC’s Sergi Palencia.

Los Angeles was awarded a penalty after Seattle’s Nouhou was handed a ball during a scrimmage in front of the net in the 14th minute.

Frei prevented the ball from crossing the goal line and pushed it forward. Nouhou came diving in and the ball hit his arm.

Bouanga came into action in the 16th minute and fired the ball high and hard into the middle of the goal, scoring his 15th goal of the season.

Ten minutes later, LAFC struck again in a sequence that began with a direct kick into the crowd in front of the net. The ball was deflected to where Bogusz was standing, and he sent a right-footed volley into the left corner of the net.

Bouanga scored again in the 74th minute after Kei Kamara sent a pass forward in midfield. Bouanga easily got past two defenders and his right-footed shot bounced off Frei’s right hand and into the net.

Bouanga had a chance for a hat-trick in the 80th minute when he found himself alone in the penalty area, but Frei made an excellent save with his left foot.

–Field Level Media