LOS ANGELES (AP) — Dénis Bouanga scored two goals to extend his outstanding start to the season, and Los Angeles FC remained unbeaten with a 4-0 victory over the New England Revolution on Sunday night.
Timothy Tillman and Stipe Biuk added their first goals for the defending MLS Cup champions, who are perfect this month in two league matches and their CONCACAF Champions League opener.
Bouanga converted a penalty in the 14th minute and added another goal off a pass from José Cifuentes in the second half, giving the French forward five goals in LAFC's past two games. Bouanga recorded a hat trick in Costa Rica on Thursday when LAFC traveled to Alajuelense for a 3-0 rout in Champions League play.
LAFC is counting on Bouanga to pick up the offensive production lost when Gareth Bale abruptly retired and the club sent top goal-scorer Cristian “Chicho” Arango to Pachuca in Liga MX shortly before the new season began. Bouanga scored only one goal in his first seven appearances for LAFC last year after arriving from Saint-Étienne in August.
Tillman, the German midfielder added to LAFC's roster only a month ago, got his first MLS goal when he put a left-footed shot from the box into the top corner in the 83rd minute.
Biuk, LAFC's promising 20-year-old Croatian striker, got his first MLS score in second-half injury time.
After winning its first two matches to start the season, New England was overwhelmed by the defending champs. The Revs were outshot 18-4, putting just one of those attempts on John McCarthy in LAFC's net.
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