LAFC's Denis Bouanga makes MLS history with help of Son Heung-min

"Credit to Denis because he works hard to help the team and score a lot of goals," said Bouanga's new striking partner, Son Heung-min.

"It's not random. It’s not lucky. He works really hard to always be in the positions scoring goals, and we should appreciate [him] for that."

But Bouanga has a different idea. He credits Son, a Premier League legend and perhaps the biggest MLS arrival since Lionel Messi, with his newfound form.

“Sonny is a very good player and a very good pal on the field and outside the field,” Bouanga said. “This connection that we have, this chemistry, it was automatic.”

That's terrifying news for MLS's Western Conference, much of which is already reeling back in awe from LAFC's goalscoring form. Since Son's Los Angeles arrival this summer, he and Bouanga have racked up a whopping 15 goals and three assists together.

Some worried that Son's arrival would stifle Bouanga; after all, the two play in a similar style and didn't appear to fit in LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo's preferred 4-3-3 at the same time. Cherundolo eased those worries by switching up his formation to get the most out of his dynamic duo. Instead of holding firm to his preferred lineup — something Cherundolo has done doggedly since his appointment way back in 2022 — he's morphed into a fast, dangerous 3-5-2 that stars Son and Bouanga as twin missiles above his midfield.

“[Son] and Denis, when they have fresh legs, they are very dangerous,” Cherundolo said. “They combine well, they play in behind … we hope we can keep putting them in positions to score.”

But the true strength of Son and Bouanga's partnership isn't in how they combine: it's in how they work separately.

Of the 15 goals and three assists the two have managed together, not a single one came in combination: Son didn't assist any of Bouanga's goals, and Bouanga didn't assist any of Son's. Instead, the two worked separately to draw opposition players out of position and create new spaces for the other to score from. We have yet to see the full potential of their partnership.

With only five games left in the regular season, LAFC may be saving some of that potential for the postseason. LAFC has guaranteed itself a spot in the playoffs and looks all but certain to have home-field advantage in the three-legged first round. Anyone it faces must find a way to handle Son and Bouanga at the same time — something no one in MLS has managed since the two first linked up this August.

Bouanga has already set several MLS records with the help of his new partner. Will he reach more feats before the season ends? It's hard to doubt him.

LAFC will continue its season on Saturday, Sept. 27, at St. Louis City.