Inter Miami Vs Lafc — LAFC brush aside Inter Miami 3-0 in season opener at Coliseum
The matchup billed as inter miami vs lafc ended with LAFC dismantling the reigning champions 3-0 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a match moved from BMO Stadium that drew 75, 673 fans and ranked as the second-highest attended MLS match ever.
David Martínez opens scoring, Son Heung-min sets the tone
David Martínez broke the deadlock in the 38th minute after a slick assist from Son Heung-min, sliding through a finish that put LAFC ahead on Matchday 1 of the 2026 MLS season. Son’s assist made the opening feel deceptively simple: his pass split Miami’s defense and Martínez finished decisively.
Inter Miami Vs Lafc at the 100-year-old Coliseum
MLS shifted the opener out of LAFC’s usual home at BMO Stadium into the 100-year-old concrete monster that is the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to better contain the Messi effect. More than 75, 000 showed up, cameras were everywhere, and pink shirts — while present — were fewer than expected. Son fans, by contrast, filled the stands and made their presence felt.
Bouanga’s brilliance and Ordaz’s late dagger
Denis Bouanga doubled LAFC’s lead in the 73rd minute. Receiving a threaded, 50-yard pass from Timothy Tillman, Bouanga controlled and then headed a chip over Dayne St. Clair to complete a moment the report calls “sheer brilliance. ” Nathan Ordaz then pounded home a third in stoppage time to seal the 3-0 rout and send Inter Miami home deflated.
Coaches and stars — Messi, discipline and defense
Even as Lionel Messi drew a reaction every time he touched the ball, Inter Miami could not convert those moments into goals. The visitors looked like a squad conscious of a long season and the World Cup clock, a dynamic noted in the match coverage. LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos praised his side’s defending: “I don’t think we conceded big chances. There were these half-chances, but overall … I think that part of our game today, A+. The part of possession, B. We can be much better, and we want to be much better, but our guys were a team. ”
What players said after the final whistle
Denis Bouanga highlighted David Martínez’s development after the match: “We need to push [Martínez] in the field because he has strong quality, but now he has a changed mentality, too. Last year is not the same to this year, and he knows. ” That belief in Martínez showed on the field with the opener and LAFC’s compact, patient approach throughout the night.
Game takeaway and next steps
LAFC stuck to a familiar script: absorb pressure, disrupt Miami’s build-up and strike decisively when chances arrived. Inter Miami had possession and moments — Messi produced flashes — but the goals never came. The match finished 3-0 in front of 75, 673 fans, marking the second-highest attended MLS match ever.
Next scheduled match for either side is unclear in the provided context.
