LAFC brush aside Inter Miami in season opener as Son, Bouanga and Ordaz deliver 3-0 win
Inter Miami began its MLS Cup title defense with a 3-0 loss to LAFC at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, a defeat that handed the opening-day advantage to LAFC and left questions about Miami's start to the season. The match, held before 75, 673 fans, was the second-highest attended in league history and showcased LAFC's ability to stifle big moments.
Historic crowd and unusual venue for Matchday 1
The match drew 75, 673 spectators at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum, the second-highest attendance in MLS history. MLS moved the opener out of LAFC's usual BMO Stadium into the 100-year-old Coliseum to contain the Lionel Messi effect, and more than 75, 000 showed up; cameras were everywhere and pink shirts were fewer than expected. The crowd reacted loudly to several key moments, and Son Heung-Min's supporters were particularly prominent.
Son Heung-Min sparks opener as David Martínez finishes in 38th minute
Son Heung-Min, MLS' record signing and in his first full season in Los Angeles, provided the assist that set up David Martínez to open the scoring in the 38th minute. Son slipped Martínez through and Martínez finished the chance to put LAFC ahead on the night. Son was taken off late to a rapturous ovation.
Denis Bouanga’s second makes it 2-0 after a Timothy Tillman release
LAFC doubled the lead when Timothy Tillman played a long pass over the top of the Miami defense and Dayne St. Clair was left stranded outside his penalty area, allowing Denis Bouanga to make it 2-0. Accounts differ on the exact finish: one description has Bouanga taking the ball round St. Clair and slotting into an empty net, while another describes Bouanga meeting a 50-yard Tillman pass and heading it over the head of Dayne St. Clair into the goal. Dayne St. Clair, Miami's new goalkeeper, was also the 2025 MLS Goalkeeper of the Year.
Nathan Ordaz seals the win in stoppage time; earlier form for Martínez and Bouanga
Nathan Ordaz added a stoppage-time third from a Denis Bouanga cross to complete the 3-0 scoreline. The first two scorers, David Martínez and Denis Bouanga, had also found the net earlier in the week when LAFC beat Real España 6-1 in their 2026 Concacaf Champions Cup Round One opener. LAFC stayed compact and patient throughout, absorbing pressure and striking when openings appeared.
Messi, new-look Inter Miami and coaching reactions
Messi, 38, started after recovering from a hamstring injury that forced the postponement of Miami's final preseason friendly in Puerto Rico on Feb. 13, but he struggled to make his usual impact. Inter Miami kept 68 percent possession but produced only one big chance; Messi's clearest sight of goal came in first-half stoppage time when he missed a shot from the edge of the box, and he did not manage a shot on target. The match was the first competitive game of a year in which Messi is likely to lead Argentina's defense of its World Cup title.
The Inter Miami side was a new-look squad without longtime teammates Jordi Alba and Sergio Busquets, who retired after December's MLS Cup triumph. Coach Javier Mascherano named three debutantes in his starting lineup: Mexico international Germán Berterame led the line ahead of Messi, and new Brazilian arrival Micael started in the center of defense in front of Dayne St. Clair. A fourth newcomer, Argentine full-back Facundo Mura, replaced Ian Fray at half-time. Mascherano said the defeat was "fair and square" but suggested the 3-0 scoreline was somewhat misleading and urged his staff to analyze the game rather than focus only on the result.
LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos, in his first game in charge, praised his team's defensive work and preparation for Messi, saying, "When we prepared the game, we prepared the game against the best Messi possible, " and that the defensive part of their game was "A+. " He added that the possession side could be better, giving it a "B, " and noted that the squad had flown a very long flight after playing Tuesday in Honduras, with one day of training, yet had shown the quality to "suffer as a team. " Canadian international Stephen Eustáquio, making his long-awaited MLS debut as a holding midfielder, was named central to LAFC's efforts on the night.
