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Los Angeles Football Club Forward Dénis Bouanga Voted MLS Player of the Matchday Presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 36

October 5, 2023 - Major League Soccer (MLS) News Release


NEW YORK - Los Angeles Football Club forward Dénis Bouanga was voted the Major League Soccer Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire for Matchday 36 of the 2023 MLS season.

Bouanga recorded a hat trick in LAFC's 5-1 victory over Minnesota United FC at BMO Stadium on Wednesday, October 4, which clinched the club's berth in the Audi 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. Bouanga scored all three of his goals in the first half, becoming the first player in club history to produce a hat trick in the opening 45 minutes of an MLS regular-season match. With his performance, Bouanga jumped into the lead of the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi standings with 17 goals, one ahead of FC Cincinnati's Luciano Acosta (16). His 17 goals are also the second-most in a single season in club history, trailing only Carlos Vela's 34 during his MVP-winning season in 2019. By clinching a berth in the postseason, LAFC will look to become the fourth team in league history to win consecutive MLS Cups, and the first since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12.

After Minnesota scored the opening goal, LAFC equalized in the sixth minute as Bouanga gathered the ball in the 18-yard-box, took one touch, and unleashed a volley past Minnesota goalkeeper Dayne St. Clair. The Gabonese international made it 2-1 in the 36th minute, as Diego Palacios picked out the forward and he provided another clinical volleyed strike to take the lead. Bouanga completed his first-half hat trick in stoppage time when he dribbled past a Minnesota defender and rifled a shot into the net from a tight angle.

Bouanga has earned his second MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire honor this season, becoming the sixth player in 2023 to do so. Bouanga is the third LAFC player to be named Player of the Matchday multiple times in the same season, joining Cristian Arango (two in 2021) and Carlos Vela (six in 2019).

LAFC will look to solidify homefield advantage in the Round One Best-of-3 series when they travel to face Austin FC at Q2 Stadium on Matchday 37 on Saturday, October 7 (8:30 p.m. ET, MLS Season Pass).

The MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire is selected each matchday of the regular season through both media and fan voting in a process conducted by MLS Communications. A panel of journalists from the North American Soccer Reporters (NASR) comprises 75 percent of the vote, while a Twitter fan vote represents the remaining 25 percent of voting. NASR consists of members of print, television, radio, and online media.

2023 MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire Winners

Matchday Player Club

Matchday 1 Thiago Almada Atlanta United

Matchday 2 Lucas Zelarayán Columbus Crew

Matchday 3 Caleb Wiley Atlanta United

Matchday 4 Thiago Almada Atlanta United

Matchday 5 Jordan Morris Seattle Sounders FC

Matchday 6 Simon Becher Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Matchday 7 Dénis Bouanga Los Angeles Football Club

Matchday 8 Carlos Vela Los Angeles Football Club

Matchday 9 Mikael Uhre Philadelphia Union

Matchday 10 Leonardo Campana Inter Miami CF

Matchday 11 Hany Mukhtar Nashville SC

Matchday 12 Evander Portland Timbers

Matchday 13 Brandon Cambridge Charlotte FC

Matchday 14 Luciano Acosta FC Cincinnati

Matchday 15 Julián Carranza Philadelphia Union

Matchday 16 Carles Gil New England Revolution

Matchday 17 Julián Carranza Philadelphia Union

Matchday 18 Alan Pulido Sporting Kansas City

Matchday 19 Hany Mukhtar Nashville SC

Matchday 20 Damir Kreilach Real Salt Lake

Matchday 21 Ryan Gauld Vancouver Whitecaps FC

Matchday 22 Randall Leal Nashville SC

Matchday 23 Riqui Puig LA Galaxy

Matchday 24 Léo Chú Seattle Sounders FC

Matchday 25 Dániel Gazdag Philadelphia Union

Matchday 26 Diego Luna Real Salt Lake

Matchday 27 Giorgos Giakoumakis Atlanta United

Matchday 28 Thiago Almada Atlanta United

Matchday 29 Emanuel Reynoso Minnesota United FC

Matchday 30 Cucho Hernández Columbus Crew

Matchday 31 Leonardo Campana Inter Miami CF

Matchday 32 Ramiro Enrique Orlando City SC

Matchday 33 Billy Sharp LA Galaxy

Matchday 34 Luciano Acosta FC Cincinnati

Matchday 35 João Klauss St. Louis CITY SC

Matchday 36 Dénis Bouanga Los Angeles Football Club

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