Denis Bouanga golazo saves LAFC against St. Louis CITY | OneFootball

By Ben Wright

Time and time again, Denis Bouanga delivers for LAFC.

The latest installment came during Matchday 10's Sunday Night Soccer presented by Continental Tire showdown with St. Louis CITY SC, as the mercurial attacker scored a brace to rescue a 2-2 draw at BMO Stadium.

With his 95th-minute equalizing golazo following up a near-range finish (70'), Bouanga reached four goals in his last three matches, putting the Black & Gold on his back as they keep pace in a jam-packed Western Conference.

Yet after the match, Bouanga's mood was muted. He was disappointed with a missed penalty kick in the 75th minute that, in his mind, cost LAFC a win.

"I want to say that this draw is on me," he told media via a translator. "If I had scored the penalty I think we would have won that game."

Bouanga channeled that frustration into productivity, slaloming through the St. Louis defense late in the second half to score off Cengiz Ünder's second assist of the night.

"It's no secret Denis is a big weapon of ours," said assistant coach Ante Razov, who took charge of the match with Steve Cherundolo serving a red-card suspension. "Denis can score four goals tonight. Denis put in a good effort, he got us two goals, but we need other guys to score."

After a slow start, Bouanga is rounding into form and looking to net a third straight 20-goal season. That production earned him back-to-back Best XI nods, as well as the 2023 Golden Boot presented by Audi.

But it can't all be on their 30-year-old star, Razov said.

"We need other people to step up and start scoring goals, creating goals," Razov said. "You cannot survive with just one guy scoring. Right now we're kind of treading water and our record shows. We're not happy about it, trying to encourage guys, push guys along."

LAFC end the weekend with 14 points, good for eighth in the West. They'll look to bounce back next Saturday when hosting Houston Dynamo FC (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass).

HIGHLIGHTS: Los Angeles Football Club vs. St. Louis CITY SC | April 27, 2025