LOS ANGELES — A confidence-boosting win on Wednesday gave the Los Angeles FC a result to build on.
And that’s exactly what LAFC did Saturday night, disentangling FC Dallas 2-0 to secure back-to-back three-point efforts at BMO Stadium.
Goals from Nathan Ordaz and Denis Bouanga before the break paved the way for consecutive wins in the league from LAFC for the first time since Matchdays 1 and 2.
“There is rhythm, that’s great to see,” LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo said. “There is confidence, that’s also good to see. But it’s well-earned, I think. There’s a lot of good moments in training sessions the last couple weeks, where I think we’ve grown and realized things as a group that we need to sharpen up and we need to maintain in order to sustain performances and results like this.”
Throughout the opening half hour, featuring the same lineup that worked over the Rapids, LAFC attempted to break down another foe working out of a deep block.
Though they did not put a shot on target until the 22nd minute, LAFC created moments of danger, showcasing some of the improved play Cherundolo complimented his players on in the wake of the win against Colorado.
“Against us, teams are just going to do that naturally when you have dangerous threats,” Ordaz said. “We just have to play, be confident, trust in each other’s movement, tactics and it went well today.”
Ordaz did his part in the 31st minute, making the most of a Dallas (5-10-6, 21 points) turnover in their defensive third. When the ball bounced to Mark Delgado, the midfielder dished it to Bouanga, who took a nice touch before finding Ordaz in the box.
The 21-year-old L.A. native, an international for El Salvador, controlled the pass and, in one fluid motion, turned to slot his shot low inside the far post and beat Dallas goalkeeper Maarten Paes.
“We capitalized on the mistakes, which maybe we were struggling to do a couple months back,” Ordaz said. “But we’re trying to start a streak and go to first place in the league.”
The Van Nuys product’s fifth score in MLS play this season gave him goals in consecutive games for the first time in his career, and upped Bouanga’s team-leading assist total to seven. Delgado was credited with his sixth assist of the season.
Shortly before halftime, Bouanga’s team-leading goal tally hit double digits for a third straight season, joining Diego Rossi as the only LAFC players to accomplish that.
Making the most of a wide open transition moment, Delgado fed Bouanga, who powered into the box and split a pair of Dallas defenders, prompting a foul on Shaq Moore and the winger’s fifth successful penalty conversion in MLS this year.
Ignoring the pause in league games that came with qualifying for the FIFA Club World Cup, LAFC has lost once in its last 12 MLS contests going back to mid-April. Coincidentally or not, Bouanga, who went goalless in the club’s first half dozen league games, scored 10 goals and tallied six assists over that successful stretch.
For the players, a confidence boost “means that we’re coming back to the rhythm we had before the Club World Cup,” midfielder Timothy Tillman said this week. “Before the Club World Cup, we were very successful, very confident, and that’s where we are now, especially emotionally. We just need to keep the confidence high and keep performing.”
Owning possession 62% to 38% in front of announced crowd of 22,117, LAFC peppered Dallas, unleashing 17 shots (10 on target) compared to 10 total for the visitors, who forced Hugo Lloris into one save en route to his seventh shutout of the year in his 50th appearance for the Black & Gold.
The outcome elevated LAFC (9-5-5, 32 points) into the sixth spot in the Western Conference prior to visiting second-place Minnesota on Wednesday.
LAFC may have to take the trip minus team captain Aaron Long, who went down with an apparent non-contact injury to his left leg in the 75th minute. Long had to be helped off the field by his teammates and was carted to the locker room.
“Obviously it didn’t look good,” Cherundolo said. “Aaron will get through this, and so will we. Of course, it’s never great to see in any match, but I think, as bitter as it is in sports, the team always comes first. Individuals have to put their needs, wants just kind of on the back burner for now and Aaron will get through this. He’s been through it before. We need to keep moving forward as a group, and I thought the performance from the group was excellent tonight.”
