LAFC routs Sporting Kansas City behind Son Heung-min, Denis Bouanga

LOS ANGELES — Goals from Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga. A decisive halftime lead. Stingy defense. Three points. For the third time since returning from the FIFA World Cup break, that formula worked wonders for Los Angeles Football Club.

After dispatching the Galaxy and Real Salt Lake, LAFC added Sporting Kansas City to its list of vanquished opponents Saturday with a 4-0 rout.

LAFC treated the visitors like the last-place team in the Western Conference, grabbing a three-goal halftime lead behind Son, Bouanga and David Martínez, who replaced Jacob Shaffelburg in the starting lineup.

After going three months without an MLS goal, Son scored for a third consecutive league match since the World Cup break, putting LAFC ahead in the fifth minute.

As it did throughout the match against Sporting Kansas City (4-11-2, 14 points), LAFC moved the ball quickly from its own end.

Making his first appearance and start since taking a knock in a July 5 friendly against the El Salvador men’s national team, midfielder Timothy Tillman pushed the ball forward to Mark Delgado, whose deft touch put Son at the top of the box without a defender between him and Sporting goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland.

As he prepares to depart for Charlotte as LAFC’s lone representative in the MLS All-Star Game, Son continued his recent form by striking a right-footed shot low inside the far post.

A little more than half an hour later, Bouanga doubled the lead on a lightning-quick transition.

Just outside LAFC’s box, Canadian midfielder Mathieu Choinière lifted a pass over everyone on the field except Bouanga, Israeli defender Or Blorian and, some 60 yards away, Cleveland.

After taking two touches with his head, Bouanga sprinted into the box and coolly lifted the ball into the back of the net.

LAFC (10-5-3, 33 points) made it 3-0 before halftime when Martínez expertly controlled a long outlet pass from Bouanga, who recorded his sixth assist of the season.

The 20-year-old Venezuelan dribbled into the box, cut to his left and tucked the ball between Cleveland and the post for his sixth MLS goal of the season.

Bouanga added his 10th goal of the season in the 85th minute with a first-time shot set up by winger Tyler Boyd, who replaced Martínez in the 76th.

In front of an announced crowd of 22,030 at BMO Stadium, LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made one save to secure his 10th clean sheet in 15 starts this season.

Winners of four consecutive league matches by a combined score of 11-1, LAFC moved level on points with the Vancouver Whitecaps and San Jose Earthquakes atop the Western Conference, seven points clear of fourth-place Real Salt Lake.

LAFC’s emphatic post-World Cup run sets up a top-of-the-table showdown against the Whitecaps next weekend at BC Place in Vancouver.

More to come on this story.