Son Heung-min has begun devising new celebrations with LAFC, and he may need more.
On Saturday night, the South Korean superstar bagged a brace, while his attacking partner Denis Bouanga added a goal in a 3–0 win over St. Louis CITY SC, bringing Son to eight goals and three assists in just eight games since his MLS debut.
Yet, it’s not his rapidly rising attacking numbers that stand out the most. Instead, it’s the 17 straight goals scored by either he or Bouanga, as LAFC ride a four-game win streak, with a victory over the San Jose Earthquakes, two recent 4–1 thrashings of Real Salt Lake, and Matchday 37’s victory over St. Louis.
The 17-goal streak dates back to a 1–1 draw at FC Dallas on Aug. 23, and since then, the Black and Gold have secured four wins in six games, propelling themselves into a top-four position in the Western Conference.
The combined tally also surpassed the previous record of consecutive goals by a duo, which was set by Nashville SC’s Hany Mukhtar and Sam Surridge earlier in the 2025 campaign.
While Salt Lake and St. Louis are not above the current cutoff for the 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs, the potency and chemistry of the duo formed through their victories have begun to set the tone for an LAFC team with hopes of a lengthy postseason run.
And at the same time, each opponent has shown their inability to defend against attackers, where pushing into a high line in an effort to out-control the duo, or sitting in a low block, as St. Louis did on Saturday.
“I just think those are two really good players, and the other eight players on the field are doing a great job of putting them in positions to succeed,” head coach Steve Cherundolo said after the match. “Those are the guys finishing plays at the moment, but the amount of work that goes into those plays by everybody is wonderful to watch, and it truly is a team accomplishment.”
Bouanga’s Golden Boot Hunt in Jeopardy
Bouanga’s goal brought him to 23 on the season, and just one behind Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi, who failed to score in a 1–1 draw against Toronto FC. Yet, the hope for Bouanga’s chase might dwindle, as he could miss two games due to international duty with Gabon.
While the first striker to score 20 goals in three straight seasons was coy about his potential absence postmatch, he explained that he could miss matches against Toronto and Austin FC, as he represents his national side, which is nearing qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Should he indeed miss those two contests, he would have just two games to catch Messi. In contrast, the Argentine has four regular-season matches remaining, three of which come against opponents already eliminated from playoff contention.
Cherundolo Hits Century Mark
While Bouanga and Son stole the show in another outstanding offensive showing, their efforts secured Cherudolo his 100th win in charge of LAFC, as he nears the end of his final season on the touchline.
“Personally, not a whole lot that I get out of it. For me, it’s just an accomplishment,” said Cherundolo, who coached LAFC to the 2022 MLS Cup in an era defined by Bouanga, Carlos Vela and Gareth Bale.
“The club supports the endeavour with good players and a winning mentality, and everybody is pointing in the right direction at LAFC, so it’s something we should all share, and I’m very proud of it.”
Now, as he enters the final stretch of his managerial chapter with the California side, he finds himself ushering in the burgeoning new era, and he hopes to coach the team to a second MLS Cup title to cap off his time with the club.
Before that can happen, though, they will look to secure that top four position and home advantage in the first-round best-of-three series, with four regular-season matches remaining.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as World’s Best Duo? Son Heung-min, Denis Bouanga Hit Incredible Mark in Latest LAFC Win.
