Son Heung-Min scored his first MLS hat trick and visiting Los Angeles FC earned a 4-1 victory over Real Salt Lake on Wednesday in Sandy, Utah.
Denis Bouanga added his 94th career LAFC goal in all competitions late in the second half to become the club’s all-time leading scorer.
The win lifted the Black and Gold (13-7-8, 47 points) up to fourth in the Western Conference above the Seattle Sounders.
Bouanga now has 19 MLS goals this season, the third-best total in the league. He also assisted Son’s third goal of the night and fifth in six league matches since his August arrival from Tottenham Hotspur.
LAFC got its second hat trick in as many games after Bouanga scored three times in a 4-2 road win over the San Jose Earthquakes on Saturday.
Zavier Gozo cut Real Salt Lake’s deficit to 2-1 on a sensational side volley in the 76th minute.
RSL (10-15-4, 34 points), which has lost four of its past five matches and sits 10th in the West, a point behind San Jose and the last playoff place.
Salt Lake forward Victor Olatunji was sent off deep in second-half stoppage time for violent conduct and will be suspended when these sides convene again Sunday in Southern California.
Son opened the scoring in the third minute.
After players from both sides made tackles on the ball in the center circle, Timothy Tillman won the last of those challenges and directed the ball perfectly into Son’s speculative run down the left.
The 33-year-old had plenty of time to take two settling touches before driving a low finish past RSL goalkeeper Rafael.
Son doubled the visitors’ lead 13 minutes later. Tillman was again involved with a strong run down the left before laying the ball off to Ryan Hollingshead and continuing up field.
Hollingshead played the ball square to Son beyond the top of the box, and Son curled a right-footed, 25-yard strike beyond Rafael’s dive into the bottom right corner.
The hosts had a chance to halve the deficit in the 56th minute, but Rwan Cruz hit the post on a penalty kick.
In the 82nd minute, Bouanga raced from his own half onto an outlet ball down the right. Son joined him on the break and directed a sliding finish of Bouanga’s unselfish cross to complete his best night in MLS so far.
Bouanga got his goal six minutes later on a similar break set up by David Martinez.
–Field Level Media
