LAFC brush aside Inter Miami in season opener as Bouanga and Son shine
LAFC opened the 2026 MLS season with a 3-0 win over inter miami in front of 75, 673 fans at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a result that saw David Martínez, Denis Bouanga and Nathan Ordaz on the scoresheet and left Lionel Messi without a shot on target.
Black & Gold dominate on a historic night
The match, played on MLS opening day and billed as a clash between the reigning champions and one of the league’s biggest attractions, finished 3-0 in favor of LAFC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, drawing 75, 673 spectators. David Martínez opened the scoring in the 38th minute after a feed from Son Heung-Min, and Denis Bouanga doubled the lead in the 73rd minute by dinking the ball over 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year Dayne St. Clair and rolling it into an empty net. Nathan Ordaz sealed the victory with a goal in stoppage time.
Inter Miami kept possession but could not convert
inter miami held 68 percent of the ball during the game yet produced only one big chance, and new designated-player striker Germán Berterame was largely held quiet. Despite lengthy spells of control and the presence of Lionel Messi, Miami failed to convert possession into goals and Messi did not register a shot on target.
Son and Eustáquio spark LAFC
South Korean superstar Son Heung-Min provided the assist on Martínez’s 38th-minute opener, and Canadian international Stephen Eustáquio made his long-awaited MLS debut as LAFC’s holding midfielder, anchoring the team’s defensive shape in the midfield. Head coach Marc Dos Santos credited the squad’s resilience for the result in his first game as LAFC head coach.
Coach’s assessment and recent form
Marc Dos Santos said, “It’s good to win like this and still have so much margin to progress, ” and praised the team’s collective effort after a week that included a 6-1 win at Real España in LAFC’s 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One opener, where Martínez and Bouanga also scored. Dos Santos added that LAFC flew a very long flight, trained one day after that trip, and “were able to suffer as a team, ” calling the defensive game plan “A+” while grading possession a “B. ”
Stadium switch, crowd and atmosphere
The season opener was moved out of LAFC’s usual BMO Stadium to the 100-year-old concrete Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to accommodate the Messi effect, and the crowd of 75, 673 was the second-highest attended MLS match ever. Cameras and fans filled the stands; pink shirts were present but fewer than expected, and Son’s supporters made a strong showing.
Denis Bouanga turned the match into a decisive victory with his 73rd-minute finish, a strike that sent the record crowd into a frenzy, and Nathan Ordaz’s stoppage-time goal completed a dominant night for the Black & Gold.
What happens next is unclear in the provided context.
