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[MyDaily = Reporter Kim Jong-guk] Minnesota United expressed confidence ahead of its showdown with LAFC.
LAFC and Minnesota meet on the 26th (KST) in Golden Valley, Minnesota, in Round 10 of the 2026 Major League Soccer season. Both clubs sit at 5 wins, 2 draws and 2 losses (17 points), but LAFC leads on goal difference and occupies third place in the Western Conference.
LAFC is winless in its last three MLS matches. In the Round 9 meeting with Colorado on April 23, LAFC managed just one shot on target. Starters Son Heung-min and Bouanga were unable to register a shot on target, and LAFC finished scoreless. Minnesota, by contrast, arrives riding a four-game winning streak.
Minnesota laid out LAFC’s season to date, saying, “LAFC began the campaign brilliantly and looked almost unbeatable. They opened the season with an 11-game unbeaten run across official competitions and put in dominant performances against Alajuelense and Cruz Azul in the CONCACAF Champions Cup. In MLS they kept opponents scoreless for 571 minutes from the season opener, drawing attention from across the league and emerging as early title contenders. Son had seven assists across his first six MLS games, while Bouanga posted six goals and three assists in six matches. As an attacking pair they were the league’s best, and every defense dreaded facing Son and Bouanga.”
Minnesota added, “Early on, LAFC supporters could picture a victory parade. Then things began to unravel. The turning point came when coach Dos Santos rotated the lineup for the Portland match ahead of the Cruz Azul fixture. Portland beat LAFC and that halted their momentum. Afterward, goalkeeper Yoris’s 593-minute shutout streak ended in the San Jose match.”
They continued, “There was still hope — the Portland loss was down to rotation, and San Jose has been one of the league’s most in-form sides. LAFC expected to reset against Colorado but managed just 28% possession at home.”
“The near-telepathic link between Son and Bouanga has faded,” Minnesota said. “A defense that once looked rock-solid is showing gaps and giving opponents too much space. There haven’t been major injuries or big roster changes, but after that early hot streak LAFC has gone quiet. Another defeat could seriously dent the team’s morale. We, meanwhile, are unbeaten in six straight matches. LAFC has recorded only one road win this season.”
Concerns over LAFC’s attack have grown. U.S. outlet Fox Sports and others reported on April 24 that “the Son–Bouanga partnership isn’t clicking. Son has yet to score a league goal this season, and Bouanga has gone three matches without a shot on target. Their chemistry isn’t what it used to be; they’re not linking up or creating clear chances.”
After the Colorado match, LAFC coach Dos Santos told Yahoo Sports that the team needs to reassess its attacking approach and get the forwards closer together on the pitch.
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