Los Angeles, CA — Denis Bouanga delivered a standout performance Saturday night, scoring a goal and assisting on another as Los Angeles FC cruised to a 2-0 victory over FC Dallas at BMO Stadium.
Bouanga was at the heart of LAFC’s dominant first half, drawing a penalty and calmly converting it just before halftime to extend the lead. Earlier, he set up Nathan Ordaz for the opening goal in the 31st minute after a defensive miscue by Dallas deep in their own end. Ordaz finished the chance with a right-footed strike inside the box — his fifth goal of the year and second in as many matches.
Bouanga’s penalty — his team-best 10th goal of the season — came in the 45th minute after he was fouled in the area by defender Shaq Moore. The goal gave LAFC a comfortable 2-0 cushion heading into the break.
With the win, LAFC (9-5-5, 32 points) bounced back from a rough run in the FIFA Club World Cup, where they went winless in three matches and failed to advance past the group stage. The victory also extended their regular-season home unbeaten streak against FC Dallas to seven games (6-0-1), including six straight wins.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris was largely untested but recorded his eighth clean sheet of the season — and 20th overall since joining LAFC — needing just one save on the night.
Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes faced heavy pressure throughout the match, making seven saves to keep the scoreline respectable. FC Dallas (5-10-6, 21 points) have now dropped four straight games and conceded at least two goals in each of those matches, allowing a total of 11 during that span.
Luciano Acosta, second in scoring for Dallas with five goals, came off the bench in the second half but couldn’t spark a comeback in the final 30 minutes.
LAFC’s night was slightly marred by an injury to defender Aaron Long, who went down with a non-contact leg injury in the 76th minute. He was taken off the field via cart and did not return.
LAFC dominated possession with 62.1% and outshot FC Dallas 17-11 in a match they controlled from start to finish.
