Los Angeles Football Club Forward Dénis Bouanga Named MLS Player of the Month
October 25, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS)
Los Angeles FC News Release
In conjunction with Major League Soccer (MLS), Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) announce that forward Dénis Bouanga was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Month presented by CELSIUS® for October 2023.
Bouanga is the first LAFC player to capture Player of the Month presented by CELSIUS honors since Carlos Vela in September 2019, which also punctuated the latter's Golden Boot-winning campaign. The 28-year-old striker is the third different LAFC player overall to win the award, joining Vela (March, April, and September 2019) and Adama Diomande (June 2018). He is the first Gabonese player to take home Player of the Month honors in the history of the award.
En route to winning the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi with an MLS-best 20 goals this season, Bouanga led the league in goals (six) and goal contributions (seven) in the month of October, despite playing in just three games. Bouanga scored in all three games, including a hat trick on October 4 against Minnesota United FC, which helped him earn MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire honors for Matchday 36. His six goals were tied for the second-most by a Golden Boot winner in his final three matches of a season, trailing only Alex Pineda Chacón, who scored seven in his final three matches for the Miami Fusion in 2001.
With his 20 goals this season, Bouanga produced the second-most goals in a single season in LAFC history, behind only Carlos Vela's 34 in 2019. The dynamic striker scored goals in bulk throughout 2023, producing a league-high five multi-goal games, which included two hat tricks. Only the Columbus Crew's Cucho Hernández and Nashville SC's Hany Mukhtar joined Bouanga with multiple hat tricks in 2023.
The forward's goal-scoring prowess helped LAFC finish third in the Western Conference and earn a berth in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs, as the club looks to become the fourth team in league history to win consecutive MLS Cups, and the first since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12. LAFC will begin their title defense against the No. 6 seed Vancouver Whitecaps on Saturday, October 28 at BMO Stadium (8 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass) in Game 1 of the Round One Best-of-3 Series.
MLS Player of the Month presented by CELSIUS is voted upon by a panel of select national media members in a process conducted by MLS Communications.
2023 MLS Player of the Month Presented by CELSIUS® Winners
Month(s) Player Club
February/March Thiago Almada Atlanta United
April Cristian Espinoza San Jose Earthquakes
May Hany Mukhtar Nashville SC
June Alan Pulido Sporting Kansas City
July Luciano Acosta FC Cincinnati
August Luciano Acosta FC Cincinnati
September Cucho Hernández Columbus Crew
October Dénis Bouanga Los Angeles Football Club
Major League Soccer Stories from October 25, 2023
- Full Time: Charlotte FC Loses High-Scoring Match in First-Ever Playoff Appearance - Charlotte FC
- FC Cincinnati to Face New York Red Bulls in Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs Round One Best-Of-3 Series - FC Cincinnati
- Sounders FC Defender Stuart Hawkins Named to U.S. Youth Men's National Team for FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia - Seattle Sounders FC
- Houston Dynamo FC Announce Fan Giveaways, Entertainment, Plus New Food and Beverage Options for Opening Match of Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs - Houston Dynamo FC
- Called Up: Santiago Morales and Tyler Hall Called up by U.S. U-17 MYNT for FIFA U-17 World Cup - Inter Miami CF
- Charlotte FC Homegrown Winger Nimfasha Berchimas to Represent the United States at the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup - Charlotte FC
- Orlando City Academy's Tahir Reid-Brown Named to United States Roster for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup - Orlando City SC
- Orlando City Academy's Tahir Reid-Brown Named to United States Roster for the 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup - Orlando City SC
- Columbus Crew's Taha Habroune and Kelvin Jones to Represent United States in FIFA U-17 World Cup Indonesia 2023 - Columbus Crew SC
- Homegrown Defender/Midfielder Peyton Miller Named to United States' FIFA U-17 World Cup Roster - New England Revolution
- Rapids Academy Products Adam Beaudry and Zackory Campagnolo Named to U.S. Roster for 2023 FIFA U-17 World Cup - Colorado Rapids
- Inter Miami CF Announces 2023 Roster Decisions - Inter Miami CF
- Ticketing and Venue Update for 2023 Inter Miami CF China Tour - Inter Miami CF
- D.C. United Captain Steven Birnbaum to be Featured in Audi, MLS, and the Players' Tribune "Celebrating Impact" Content Series - D.C. United
- The Road to MLS Cup Runs Through TQL Stadium, a Significant Advantage for FCC by All Accounts from Other MLS Managers - FC Cincinnati
- Los Angeles Football Club Forward Dénis Bouanga Named MLS Player of the Month - Los Angeles FC
- Los Angeles Football Club Forward Dénis Bouanga Named MLS Player of the Month Presented by CELSIUS© Essential Energy for October 2023 - MLS
- Make-A-Wish® Massachusetts and Rhode Island and the New England Revolution Grant Local Wish at Inaugural Make-A-Wish Night - New England Revolution
- Match Preview: Wild Card Playoff Match: Charlotte FC at New York Red Bulls - Charlotte FC
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