Los Angeles FC defender Sergi Palencia kicks the ball against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
A fan points to the sky during the first half of an MLS match between the Los Angeles FC and FC Dallas at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Maxime Chanot looks to pass against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Multi-colored smokes files at the end of an MLS match between the Los Angeles FC and FC Dallas at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Ilie Sánchez heads the ball against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga controls the ball against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Omar Campos recovers the ball against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Cristian Olivera moves the ball against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga, center, moves the ball past FC Dallas midfielder Ema Twumasi, right, during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Soccer supporters rase a tifo prior to the start of an MLS match between the Los Angeles FC and FC Dallas at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Sergi Palencia, right, vies for the ball against FC Dallas defender Marco Farfan during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC head coach Steve Cherundolo looks on during the first half of an MLS match against FC Dallas at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
A soccer fan cheers during the first half of an MLS match between the Los Angeles FC and FC Dallas at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Ilie Sánchez, right, vies for the ball with FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Cristian Olivera (13) vies for the ball with FC Dallas midfielder Liam Fraser and defender Sebastien Ibeagha during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris makes a save against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Ryan Hollingshead (24) controls the ball against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
FC Dallas forward Jesús Ferreira (10) recovers the ball against Los Angeles FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Ilie Sánchez heads the ball against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz (19) moves the ball past FC Dallas forward Logan Farrington (23) during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga, second from left, celebrates his goal against FC Dallas with teammates during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. Los Angeles FC won 1-0. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Ilie Sánchez kicks the ball against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC defender Omar Campos, right, moves the ball past FC Dallas midfielder Ema Twumasi during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Timothy Tillman controls the ball against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Cristian Olivera, left, recovers the ball against FC Dallas midfielder Ema Twumasi during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC midfielder Mateusz Bogusz, left, kicks the ball against an FC Dallas defender during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga takes a goal shot against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, June 1, 2024. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LOS ANGELES — Extending its club-record shutout streak to 575 minutes, the Los Angeles Football Club ground down a beleaguered FC Dallas on Saturday to secure a seventh straight victory in all competitions.
Denis Bouanga’s 10th goal at the 74-minute mark, his fifth regular season game winner in 2024 and his 12th with LAFC, lifted the Black & Gold to the second spot in Major League Soccer’s Western Conference, three points behind Real Salt Lake with a game in hand as the calendar pauses at the midway point for a two week FIFA window.
Bouanga has been called into the Gabonese national team for World Cup qualifying, while Omar Campos (Mexico – U22), Cristian Olivera (Uruguay), Maxime Chanot (Luxembourg) and Timothy Tillman (USA) continue to work while the their teammates back in L.A. rest.
LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo welcomed the time off despite it interrupting his team’s successful string of wins coming off the second worst start in club history.
“The momentum stops tonight, and that’s OK,” said Cherundolo, whose group outscored the opposition 15-1 over the last seven contests. “We achieved our objective which was to get maximum points out of our last games. The team is fatigued and needs a break.
“We are a thin roster and we’ve relied heavily on predominantly the same group for most of the minutes all year.”
A win in Atlanta last Saturday coupled with a strong effort against Minnesota at BMO Stadium on Wednesday provided goalkeeper Hugo Lloris a chance to match a personal high with five consecutive clean sheets.
Holding firm against Dallas, Lloris equaled a mark he hit twice before, first in France’s Ligue 1 with Lyon in 2010 and then the English Premier League for Tottenham during the 2017 season.
The 37-year-old legendary Frenchman made three saves on Saturday. His best effort came in the 82nd minute when Dallas forward Peter Musa struck a shot from five yards inside the midfield line that forced Lloris to backpedal and leap as he extended his left arm to knock the ambitious effort over the bar.
Since their last defeat, a 3-1 stumble at San Jose on May 4, “we grew as a team,” Lloris said, “but you need to keep the standard. We want to look up into the table, we don’t want to look backwards.”
The first of five matches in June was another instance when Lloris faced minimal pressure while the Black & Gold dictated the terms, especially on the defensive end.
Starting at center back, Aaron Long called the outcome “a massive win at home,” where LAFC (9-4-3, 30 points) is an MLS best 7-0-2.
“I think we feel very good,” Long said. “It’s been a big push. To end with a nine-point week you’re on a high but after two weeks of being off it’s going to feel like a reset, for sure.”
Six players have scored LAFC’s 28 goals — Bouanga, Bogusz (6), Olivera (4), Tillman (4), Eduard Atuesta (2) and David Martinez (1). The number of players contributing on the offensive end is less important than the chances LAFC regularly creates, Cherundolo said, and they continue to lead MLS in shots and shots on target.
Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes pushed away dangerous but deep shots from Bouanga and Mateusz Bogusz in the opening half, finishing with a career high nine saves as LAFC put 10 of their 17 shots on goal.
Bogusz and Bouanga connected for the club’s 14th game in a row with a goal when the Polish attacking midfielder broke the Dallas (3-8-4, 13 points) backline with a pass just beyond the outstretched leg of former LAFC defender Sebastien Ibeagha.
“It was a perfect pass,” said Bouanga, who tallied four goals and three assists during LAFC’s last five league wins. “We had seen there was space between the two defenders and we actually talked about it at halftime, so I knew that he would try to get that pass and I just had to go fast in the middle. It worked out.”
Bogusz, one of 12 LAFC players who have set up a goal this year, nabbed his third assist of the year after Bouanga, one on one with Paes, tucked it into the net for his 15th contribution of the season.
“It feels really good for us forwards to know we are so solid behind, with a great defense and great goalkeeper,” Bouanga said. “It really gives us a peace of mind and we are just here to score, to do our job, and we know they are doing their job.”
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