Inter Miami undone by LAFC as Bouanga and Son steal the show in season opener
LAFC handed reigning MLS Cup champions inter miami a 3-0 defeat on Saturday at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, using a compact defensive plan and moments of brilliance from Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga to spoil the opener in front of 75, 673 fans.
David Martínez opened the scoring in the 38th minute with an assist from Son Heung-Min, Bouanga doubled the lead in the 73rd minute, and Nathan Ordaz finished the game in stoppage time to complete the 3-0 result.
Coliseum crowd and early rhythm
The match drew 75, 673 spectators to the 100-year-old Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a crowd described as historic and the second-highest attended MLS match ever. LAFC had moved the opener out of BMO Stadium into the Coliseum to hold the wave of interest around Lionel Messi; cameras were everywhere and pink shirts were in the stands, though fewer than expected.
Key moments: Martínez, Son and Bouanga
Martínez finished Son’s through ball for the opener in the 38th minute. Son’s assist provided the home side the opening they needed after a compact defensive first half.
Bouanga’s 73rd-minute strike doubled the lead. Accounts in the match coverage described the goal two ways: one account said Bouanga dinked the ball over 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair and rolled it into an empty net; another described a long, 50-yard Timothy Tillman pass that Bouanga met and headed over St. Clair into the net. Both accounts place Bouanga on the scoresheet for the second goal.
Nathan Ordaz added the final score in stoppage time, pounding in what commentators called the dagger to send the visitors home without points.
Inter Miami held the ball but rarely threatened
Inter Miami controlled 68 percent possession on the night but produced only one big chance and failed to convert. Lionel Messi did not register a single shot on target, and new designated-player striker Germán Berterame was largely held quiet as Miami struggled to turn possession into clear opportunities.
The context for Miami’s season opener included their record in the Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, when they scored 20 times in six games en route to the Philip F. Anschutz Trophy.
Coaches, debuts and midweek fatigue
Marc Dos Santos, in his first game as LAFC head coach, praised the result and the team’s capacity to cope with a tight schedule: “It’s good to win like this and still have so much margin to progress, ” he said, adding, “Now we want to play and build the team. ”
Dos Santos also pointed to LAFC’s midweek trip and match as a factor in the group’s 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. ” He evaluated his side’s performance by saying the defensive part was “A+” while possession was a “B” that can improve.
Canadian international Stephen Eustáquio made his long-awaited MLS debut for LAFC as a holding midfielder and was described as central to the home side’s effort. Bouanga praised Martínez’s new mentality 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. ”
LAFC’s midweek form and the fallout in Los Angeles
LAFC had opened their 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup campaign earlier in the week with a 6-1 win at Real España; Martínez and Bouanga both found the net in that match as well. After Saturday’s result, observers noted that Son Heung-Min’s fans turned out in force and that the home side absorbed pressure, disrupted Miami’s rhythm and punished chances when they came.
What comes next for either side is unclear in the provided context.
