Dénis Bouanga sparks LAFC to 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake

SANDY, Utah (AP) — Dénis Bouanga scored his league-leading ninth goal of the season to lead Los Angeles FC to a 3-0 victory over Real Salt Lake on Saturday night.

LAFC (6-1-3) beat Real Salt Lake (3-6-2) for a seventh straight time and improved to 11-1-0 in the series.

Kwadwo Opoku picked up his first goal — with an assist from Ilie Sánchez — since scoring in the season opener to stake LAFC to a 1-0 lead in the 8th minute.

Bouanga stretched the lead to 2—0 when he took a pass from Carlos Vela and scored in the 35th minute.

Mateusz Bogusz subbed in for Vela in the 80th minute and scored on a penalty kick in the 87th to complete the scoring.

John McCarthy finished with five saves to earn the clean sheet for LAFC. Zac MacMatch saved one shot for Real Salt Lake.

LAFC earned a road win for just the third time in its last 12 tries. LAFC moved past expansion St. Louis City and into second place in the Western Conference with the victory, two points behind the Seattle Sounders.

Real Salt Lake was coming off back-to-back scoreless draws and was unbeaten in its last three matches.

LAFC returns home to host Sporting KC on Wednesday. Real Salt Lake will host the Portland Timbers on Wednesday.