LOS ANGELES — It took them long enough, but No. 99 scored his 99th and the red-hot Los Angeles Football Club managed to secure its fifth consecutive victory Sunday at BMO Stadium.
Suffering through a cold shower for 85 minutes due to downtrodden Atlanta United’s defensive-minded tactics, Denis Bouanga finally got on the end of one to bag his 24th goal and lock down a 1-0 win that guaranteed LAFC (16-7-8, 53 points) home field advantage in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs later this month.
Bouanga’s finish, tying Lionel Messi for the most goals in Major League Soccer this season, came after a lofted ball by Mark Delgado into the box was headed away by an Atlanta defender. However, it fell directly in Bouanga’s path, and his first-time shot near the six-yard box squeezed between the legs of goalkeeper Jayden Hibbert.
Unable to score during the opening half for the first time in seven games, LAFC was short on space as Atlanta (5-15-12, 27 points) sat back and crowded the middle. Struggling to combine, Bouanga and his superstar teammate Son Heung-min appeared defendable, which is saying something considering they entered fan appreciation day with an MLS record 17 straight goals.
The stop-and-start contest resembled LAFC’s efforts from August rather than its rocket-fuel-charged September, when Steve Cherundolo’s team was a perfect 4-0-0 to climb the table and reestablish itself as an MLS Cup contender.
Closing the weekend slate on Sunday Night Soccer, LAFC was well aware that each of the three Western Conference teams above them — San Diego, Vancouver and Minnesota — won. As had fifth-place Seattle, which stood as the only threat to LAFC’s hope for a top-four seed.
Following Bouanga’s 99th goal with LAFC, that threat evaporated, as the Black & Gold needed three points to ensure it would have two games at home in the best-of-three series, if necessary.
Bouanga’s goal in his 100th LAFC appearance extended his streak to six matches and raised his club-record total of game-winners to 23.
Bouanga joins Son on international duty and will miss the club’s next two games (Wednesday at home versus Toronto and next Sunday at Austin).
LAFC has one or two games in hand on each of the three teams above them in the standings, and can still win the conference for the third time in four years.