With Son and Bouanga back, LAFC eyes 2nd place in final match against Colorado

[OSEN=No Jinju Reporter] Major League Soccer (MLS) in the U.S. is focusing on the return of LAFC's 'dynamic duo' Son Heung-min, 33 years old, and Denis Bouanga, 30 years old. The reunion of the two attackers is expected to inject new energy into the team as the regular season approaches its climax.

LAFC will play its final 2025 MLS regular-season match against Colorado Rapids on the 19th (Korean time) at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Denver, Colorado.

LAFC, which once showed a fearsome upward trend, has recently slowed down. Until before the October international break, they maintained a six-game winning streak and held 3rd place in the Western Conference with 59 points. At the time, the possibility of a comeback championship was even raised. However, after losing their two key attackers (Son Heung-min, Bouanga) to national team duty, their performance balance wavered. The championship possibility vanished. They are currently competing with San Diego (59 points) for 2nd place.

Before the international break, Son Heung-min and Bouanga were at the center of LAFC's upward momentum. Since joining in August, Son Heung-min recorded 8 goals and 2 assists in 9 matches, showcasing explosive performance.

Bouanga, after Son Heung-min's arrival, reached 24 league goals, trailing only Lionel Messi (Inter Miami, 26 goals) for the top scorer.

The duo also made history in MLS. On the 22nd of last month against Real Salt Lake, Bouanga set a record as the first player in MLS history to achieve three consecutive hat-tricks.

Additionally, Bouanga and Son Heung-min recently set a new milestone by collaborating on 18 consecutive goals, the most in league history.

However, LAFC's performance weakened significantly after the two were called up for international duty. LAFC won 2-0 against Toronto on the 9th thanks to goals from Jeremy Ebobisse and Frankie Amaya but lost 0-1 in their away game against Austin on the 13th.

Currently, LAFC is in 3rd place, 4 points behind 1st-place Vancouver Whitecaps, and their Western Conference championship hopes have been dashed.

Now, only one match remains. With the return of Son Heung-min and Bouanga, LAFC has restored its full strength. If they win against Colorado and San Diego loses to Portland, they could rise to as high as 2nd place.

The official MLS website welcomed their return on the 14th, stating, "Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga have gained additional motivation ahead of their away game against Colorado. The two players collaborated on all of LAFC's last 18 goals before the international break."

With Son Heung-min's return, LAFC's attack line is expected to revive. The reunion of the 'dynamic duo' is drawing attention as to whether it will reinvigorate the team's morale.

LAFC's Dynamic Duo Return, 2nd-Place Hopes Alive