Inter Miami Vs Lafc — inter miami vs lafc ends 3-0 as LAFC brush aside Inter Miami in season opener
The 2026 MLS season opened with LAFC handling business in front of 75, 673 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. The inter miami vs lafc matchup finished 3-0, with LAFC dominating Lionel Messi and reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions Inter Miami CF.
Inter Miami Vs Lafc match recap
David Martínez put LAFC ahead in the 38th minute, Son Heung-Min providing the assist on Martínez's opener. Denis Bouanga doubled the lead in the 73rd minute and Nathan Ordaz struck in stoppage time to complete a 3-0 victory. The result continued a strong opening stretch for LAFC: Martínez and Bouanga had also found the net earlier in the week during a 6-1 win at Real España in LAFC’s 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One opener.
Goals, assists and decisive moments
Martínez’s goal arrived after a Son slip-through that the forward finished in the 38th minute. Bouanga’s second was scored in the 73rd minute; descriptions of the strike vary in detail. One account calls it a trademark goal, a dink over 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair that rolled into an empty net. Another account describes a 50-yard pass from Timothy Tillman met by Bouanga, who headed it to himself and sent the ball over Dayne St. Clair and into the net. Nathan Ordaz added the third in stoppage time to seal the win.
Tactics, possession and chances
Inter Miami kept 68 percent possession but created only one big chance. New DP striker Germán Berterame was largely held quiet, and Lionel Messi did not manage a single shot on target. LAFC stayed compact, absorbed pressure and struck when openings appeared. The visitors looked like a team aware that the season is long and that the World Cup clock is already ticking.
Coaches and postmatch quotes
It was Marc Dos Santos’ first game as LAFC head coach. He offered several assessments after the match: “It’s good to win like this and still have so much margin to progress, ” he said. “Now we want to play and build the team. ” Dos Santos also highlighted the team’s recent schedule and resilience: “A very positive thing is we played Tuesday in Honduras. We flew a very long flight, we had one day of training, and we were able to suffer as a team. That quality of being able to suffer as a team together is an important quality for a team. ”
On game preparation and execution he added, “When we prepared for the game, we prepared to face the best Messi possible. 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, suffered together, were smart dealing with a lot of plays, and that’s important going forward. ” In another postmatch remark he said, “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. ”
Denis Bouanga also spoke about Martínez’s development: “We need to push [Martínez] in the field because he has strong quality, but now he has a changed mentality, too, ” Bouanga said postmatch. “Last year is not the same to this year, and he knows. ”
Crowd, venue and atmosphere
The match drew 75, 673 fans to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum — the second-highest attended MLS match ever. The game was moved out of LAFC’s usual BMO Stadium into the 100-year-old concrete Coliseum in an effort to contain the Messi effect. More than 75, 000 showed up; cameras were everywhere. Pink shirts were present but fewer than expected, while Son fans showed out and, some observers said, basically won the night.
Canadian international Stephen Eustáquio, making a long-awaited MLS debut as a holding midfielder, was central to LAFC’s efforts. Son Heung-Min, the South Korean superstar, provided the assist on Martínez’s opener. The Black & Gold’s pattern of absorbing pressure, disrupting Miami and finding decisive moments produced three goals and three points. Three goals. Three points.
Inter Miami arrived as the reigning MLS Cup presented by Audi champions after storming through the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, scoring 20 times in six games during their run to the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy, but they left Los Angeles with a 3-0 defeat and limited clear chances to carry back home.
Unclear in the provided context: lineup details beyond named players, referee name, and exact stoppage time minute for Ordaz’s goal.
Closing: LAFC’s 3-0 win over Inter Miami at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, in front of 75, 673 fans, combined defensive discipline, timely finishing and strong coaching messages in Marc Dos Santos’ first match in charge, leaving Inter Miami scoreless despite heavy possession.
