The full power of LAFC’s offense was unleashed under the bright lights at BMO Stadium on Saturday night. They were fast, ruthless, and precise in their 6-0 rout of Orlando City that saw a first-half avalanche of five total goals in less than 40 minutes.
If you haven’t seen them yet, or even if you have, here’s all six goals in their entirety:
7th minute — Own Goal David Brekalo (1-0 LAFC)
LAFC had a plethora of chances even before this moment, but the opening goal was scored when Son Heung-Min whipped a venomous low cross in front of the net and it deflected off Orlando defender David Brekalo, redirecting it past his own keeper.
20th minute — Denis Bouanga (2-0 LAFC)
The first goal scored by an LAFC player came off a turnover. Son came racing down the pitch and sent a threaded through ball to Denis Bouanga who chipped it over his former teammate and current Orlando goalkeeper Maxime Creapeau and into the net for the 2-0 lead.
23rd minute — Denis Bouanga (3-0 LAFC)
From there, the avalanche began. Three minutes later another turnover by Orlando just outside the 18-yard box quickly detonated into a vicious counter attack by LAFC. Son again slipped a ball to Bouanga in space who faked to the left, cut inside and buried his second goal at the far post and into the back of the net. Orlando looked stunned. Caught in a loop they couldn’t slow, while LAFC played at a tempo bordering on cruel.
28th minute — Denis Bouanga (4-0 LAFC)
The third fastest hat trick ever scored in MLS history came in a span of eight minutes. Bouanga carved up some space and played a give-and-go with Son who delivered an excellent pass around the defender and back inside to Bouanga who rifled a shot over Crepeau and just under the crossbar for the fourth goal of the game. LAFC players dropped into a circle, mimicking playing Mario Kart, laughing in the wreckage they created.
“We play Mario Kart now when we travel, and that was what the celebration was for,” said a smiling Bouanga after the game.
The three goals in 28 minutes from the start of the game was the fourth fastest hat trick in MLS history.
“Today there was so much space,” Bouanga said. “Me and Sonny exploited it. If I had an opportunity to shoot I took it and I did well.”
40th minute — Sergi Palencia (5-0 LAFC)
Even the fullbacks got to feast in this one. Sergi Palencia timed his run perfectly as Bouanga found Son racing towards the endline. Before falling out of bounds, Son delivered a perfect ball to the feet of Palencia who finished it with authority into the back of the net. It was Palencia’s first goal of the season, and it punctuated the landslide that saw a franchise-best five goals scored in just 40 minutes of action.
Son made history in the process. He became the first LAFC player ever to deliver four assists in the opening half of a game, and joined Lionel Messi (5) as the only two players in MLS history ever to have four or more assists in a single half.
“It was impressive,” said LAFC head coach Marc dos Santos. “I didn’t know Messi did it too. Messi does everything.”
70th minute — Tyler Boyd (6-0 LAFC)
By the time Tyler Boyd rose inside the box in the 70th minute, the exclamation point could finally be placed at the end of the sentence of this match. Boyd powered home a header off service from Jacob Shaffelburg to give LAFC a club-record six goals in the game.
With the victory, LAFC remains the only unbeaten team in MLS, and are currently riding a club-record 10-game unbeaten streak. They’ve also stacked six straight clean sheets.
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