When Son Heung-min arrived at Los Angeles Football Club last month, there was a huge sense of excitement: here was South Korea’s most popular athlete and one of the best Asian footballers in history. In a city with the largest South Korean community in the United States, there was also a belief that – just as with Lionel Messi and Miami – the diaspora would create a strong bridge between club and city.
But this was also about LAFC itself. Undoubtedly, there was much Son could offer to Steve Cherundolo and a squad that was already blessed with attacking talent, including Denis Bouanga, the 30-year-old France-born Gabon international. Just before Son’s debut for LAFC on 9 August against Chicago Fire, Bouanga – a three-time All-Star – had 13 goals in the league and had long served as the main goal threat for the club, who at the time were sixth in the Western Conference.
The potential of adding Son’s production to Bouanga’s was tantalizing. But both men presented similar profiles – speedy forwards used to playing on the wing. It was no sure thing that they would gel.
That aforementioned game against Chicago put those concerns to rest. Son won a penalty in the late stages of the game, which was converted by Bouanga, making it 2-2 on the night. But the most important takeaway from that evening was that the two looked in-sync, despite limited training time together.
The next game against New England didn’t feature goals from either player but after that, on 23 August against FC Dallas, a magnificent hot streak began. Today, Son and Bouanga have scored 17 consecutive goals between them – an MLS record for any goal scoring pairing in league history.
This past weekend against St Louis City, Son scored a brace while Bouanga netted another, giving LAFC their fourth consecutive win, with a combined 15-4 scoreline.
Quite simply, this is the most lethal pairing in the league.
“We are feeling good,” Bouanga told the Guardian. He has 23 goals in the league and trails Messi in the golden boot race by only one goal. “I feel so good with Sonny on the pitch. As you can see, I get along with him so well and so as a result the team does well when we go forward.”
Since Son’s arrival, Bouanga has scored 10 goals, including two hat-tricks, which passed Carlos Vela to make him the top scorer in club history. He made even more history by becoming the first MLS player to score 20 or more goals in three straight seasons. Bouanga has never been short of confidence but thanks to Son, it has skyrocketed and it’s because his teammates’ career achievements inspire him to push himself further.
“He’s such a great football player with a huge reputation,” says Bouanga. “Especially in the Premier League and everyone knows him. And now here? He’s so happy to have joined us and I think we can do even more with him on the squad.”
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Bouanga has always been a great goalscorer in this league so it’s not like much is changing for him on the training ground. For him, it’s more about the mentality of wanting to be the very best that he can be, and Son’s presence – alongside the elite depth of this squad, which includes Son’s former Spurs teammate and World Cup champion Hugo Lloris – helps him get even better as a scorer.
“I haven’t done anything different compared to last year,” says Bouanga. “I’m still doing the same, I am the same, trying to be a killer in front of goal and this year, it’s working too. I’m super happy so far but it is not over.”
LAFC sit fourth in the West with 30 points, trailing San Diego FC by four points. But they have two games in hand so there is a possibility of topping the table and securing home field advantage at least until MLS Cup. That is another incentive for Bouanga and his team as they want to do everything possible to make sure Cherundolo wins the title in his final season – in April he announced his departure from the club at the end of the 2025 campaign.
“I would like to win this last title for him. I think it would be very important for LAFC and for him to win MLS Cup,” says Bouanga.
As long as the dynamic duo of Son and Bouanga continue to flourish, there is a very real possibility that could happen.
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Luis Miguel Echegaray is a writer, analyst and host specializing in soccer and sports content that also appeals to the U.S. Latino and young audience. He has previously worked at ESPN, CBS Sports, Sports Illustrated and is returning to the Guardian as a contributor.
