LOS ANGELES -- LAFC’s season kicked off with a statement 3-0 win against Inter Miami, on Saturday night. In the marquee match-up of MLS’ opening weekend, a sold out crowd of 75,673 - the second largest in league history - came out to see the stars at the Memorial Coliseum. And while swathes of Leo Messi fans were left wanting, LAFC’s stars showed up, with both Denis Bouanga and Son Heung-min offering goal contributions.
The opening half hour started tense before Inter Miami gradually gained control. But despite searching for their talisman, the Messi-spearheaded attack was never able to break through, and the more they pushed, the more exposed they became.
And in the 37th minute, after losing the ball in their own half, LAFC made them pay. Breaking quickly, Son Heung-min split the defense with a through ball that found David Martínez, who confidently slotted it home inside the far post.
Miami came out of halftime with even more intent, eager to seize control of the game. For 25 minutes they utterly dominated possession, working tirelessly to unlock LAFC’s defence. But in a repeat of their first half trials, Miami’s persistent probing only left themselves vulnerable. And in the 73rd minute, LAFC capitalized.
From within his own half, Timothy Tillman played a ball in behind the Miami defense that found Denis Bouanga on the break. With Dayne St. Clair caught between two minds, Bouanga deftly headed the ball over the straying keeper before passing the ball into the open net.
If it hadn’t before, the result now felt inevitable.
Despite Miami finishing with nearly 70% possession, LAFC never looked uncomfortable, entirely at ease soaking up the pressure while always looking capable of inflicting damage on the counter. Remarkably, however, this wasn’t the gameplan.
As manager Marc Dos Santos explained, LAFC never intended to allow Miami so much possession. “It wasn’t a strategy,” he said, “especially in the second half.” But when substitute Nathan Ordaz made it 3-0 in the fourth minute of stoppage time - on yet another explosive counter - one would have understandably thought otherwise.
It was the icing on the cake for what felt like a statement win. Beating the defending MLS Cup Champions so emphatically doesn’t necessarily suggest any wider league implications - especially so early in the season. But to “win like this and still have so much room to progress,” as Dos Santos said, will surely turn heads across the league.