Picking up their third straight win, LAFC handled Minnesota United in a 1-0 shutout performance on Wednesday evening at Allianz Field. The Black and Gold are now 10-5-5 and have pulled into fourth in the Western Conference standings.
It was the first-ever LAFC victory on the road against Minnesota, bringing them to 1-2-4 overall when playing in the Twin Cities. They are now 6-3-5 all-time in the regular season against them.
Following a familiar theme, Denis Bouanga once again found himself providing the score that Los Angeles needed to get over the top. His penalty shot in the 42nd minute just before halftime broke the scoring, giving the 30-year-old his 11th goal of the season.
🚀 then 🔄@BouangaDenis buries the penalty to give us the lead.#MINvLAFC 0-1 https://t.co/zdvAFEfgkC pic.twitter.com/6F1atYxoo3
— LAFC (@LAFC) July 17, 2025
Bouanga, now having registered three goals and two assists across LAFC's 3-0-0 stretch, is only nine goals away from becoming the first player in MLS history to score 20 regular-season goals in three consecutive seasons. Currently at 85 goals, he is eight shy of tying club legend Carlos Vela for the most in the team's history.
Additionally, with Bouanga's goal being the lone score in Wednesday's contest, he recorded his 20th game-winning goal in MLS and surpassed Vela for the most in team history.
Playing in their first match without team captain and elite defender Aaron Long, who suffered a torn Achilles on July 12 in a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas, LAFC still looked sharp defensively. Minnesota, currently holding third place in the Western Conference, was shut out in a loss for the first time this year.
The Black and Gold deployed a 5-2-3 formation for the first time this season, still proving effective at preventing the Minnesota attack despite allowing them to maintain possession for the majority of the match. Defender Nkosi Tafari spoke postgame about the absence of Long and the team's ability to try to remain effective without him on the pitch.
"He's got big shoes to fill," said Tafari. "He's been a mainstay in this club, and I just want to make sure I can do the best job possible while he's out, but all the best in recovery to him. We're fighting hard for him."
Hugo Lloris did a nice job defending the net, saving all three shots on goal as Minnesota's six-game unbeaten streak came to a halt. Lloris and the rest of the LAFC squad have not allowed an MLS goal since June 29 and are outscoring opponents 6-0 across their current win streak.
Matt Krohn-Imagn Images
As they look to extend the winning streak to four, the Black and Gold will return home for the second edition this season of El Tráfico. They will host the Galaxy at BMO Stadium on Saturday, looking to win the season series against their rivals after the two sides battled into a 2-2 draw back on May 18.
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.