If some Hollywood screenwriters a few miles down the street from BMO Stadium had cooked up the plot twists we’ve seen since Son Heung-Min arrived to team up with Denis Bouanga at LAFC in August, a discerning critic might well have dinged them for being excessively unrealistic.
The MLS-record 18 straight goals scored between the two of them during the Black & Gold’s rip-roaring 7W-1L-2D start to life with Sonny, highlighted by three hat tricks? Pretty gaudy numbers, albeit plausible, especially given the tangible impact on LAFC’s rise up the standings and into a popular MLS Cup pick among pundits.
Budding bromance
The fast-developing friendship between them, despite linguistic differences, that’s manifested itself in their joint goal celebrations, some cribbed off of TikTok, others paying homage to the ones the other is known for? A little bit on-the-nose with its sheer cuteness, a hard-boiled cynic might grouse, though heartwarming enough to charm anyone, aside from their Western Conference adversaries, perhaps.
But it truly seemed to stretch credulity when the duo disagreed over a penalty kick in the latter stages of a 3-0 win at St. Louis CITY SC on Sept. 27 – and not in the typical fashion of two hungry scorers arguing over who got to convert from the spot.
No, this time it was Bouanga handing the ball to Son so the South Korean legend could complete a hat trick, only for ‘Sonny’ to hand it right back, preferring to prioritize Bouanga’s chase of Lionel Messi in the MLS Golden Boot presented by Audi race. (Footnote: The PK decision was ultimately overturned by Video Review.)
“I wanted Sonny to score a hat trick today. But he didn’t want it,” explained Bouanga postgame. “He wanted to pursue my objective, to win the Golden Boot.”
This wasn’t a one-off, either. Earlier this month, Bouanga looked to tee up Son for a tap-in during a 1-0 victory over Atlanta United, only to slightly overhit the pass and let the Five Stripes off the hook – a rather rare decision for the Gabonese international, who’s carried the mantle of primary finisher for much of his LAFC career.
Afterwards, Son urged him to be more selfish next time.
“Just shoot Denis, please. I know my gesture or my body language made you pass the ball, but especially today, I think you've got to shoot,” said the former Tottenham Hotspur icon. “I will never blame you. I love you, my brother.”
All of which begs the question: In the land of sitcoms and buddy flicks, is Sonny-Denis already at full-on ‘bromance’ status?
“I think it is,” teammate Ryan Hollingshead told MLSsoccer.com with a laugh as LAFC prepare to embark on their Audi 2025 MLS Cup Playoffs quest vs. Austin FC on Wednesday night (10:30 pm ET | MLS Season Pass, Apple TV+).
“It’s why I love this club. They don't just sign big names that can perform on the football field, but they sign these guys that they want to have as part of the identity of their club. They want these guys out in the community, and Sonny, he is the perfect example for that.”
Instant chemistry
If you’re wondering just how the vibes around LAFC and their star combo got so sublime so quickly, it appears to start with Son’s engaging personality and world-class track record, fostering a case of ‘game recognize game’ between two elite attackers that soon enough spread across their entire squad.
“It's super easy to play with Sonny. I get along with him really well,” Bouanga explained in French during a recent conversation with MLS Season Pass sideline reporter Andrew Wiebe. “It happens naturally. There's no need to create things or pretend to be someone else.
“For me, there's no more beautiful person than Sonny. He's always laughing; he's a joker. I recognize myself in him. I know I like to smile, and to give joy to many people, and that's what Sonny does here. Not just with me – he really does it with everyone. You have to love Sonny; you can't hate him. To me, it's impossible.”
Opponents who’d gotten accustomed to harassing Bouanga with double, or even triple-team defending as he became the first player in MLS history to score 20 goals or more in three consecutive seasons must now account for a weapon of equal danger in LAFC colors, he explained.
Thus has the presence of not just one but two clever, highly mobile, coldly clinical scorers in the same front line – in addition to several other menacing options on the club’s well-constructed roster – cast Steve Cherundolo’s pragmatic, transition-oriented game model in a whole new light.
“When they are both as prolific as they are, it gives the rest of the team energy,” noted Cherundolo last month. “It gives their defensive work and their suffering purpose, and that is very important. If you are a defender, you will run gladly for whatever, 100 minutes, however long we play, if your attackers are finishing plays like Denis and Sonny are finishing plays.”
Sky-high confidence
As smoothly as all this has taken shape, it would be glib to claim this was a no-brainer, slam-dunk scenario. Leaving Tottenham behind after a glittering decade in North London carried heavy emotional implications for Son, and starting a new chapter on a new continent has been a challenge for even the biggest names to arrive in this league over the decades, particularly those who live under a white-hot global spotlight like he does.
Son’s adventurousness and sky-high emotional IQ have proved just as priceless as his elite skills on the pitch.
“This guy always has a smile on his face, always trying to tell a joke,” explained Hollingshead. “Sometimes you can understand them, sometimes you can't. Sometimes the joke makes sense, sometimes it doesn't. And no matter what, he's just like, smiley and giddy and happy, and he's the type of guy that you just want to be around.
“When you bring in a guy like that, that's quality on the pitch, and also a good friend and good teammate, you can just see the way that it's affected our club and the way that it's affected our product on the field.”
Austin are one of only two teams to have beaten LAFC since Son’s debut, and will pose challenges over this Round One series with their own brand of defensive integrity and counterattacking nous. Should the Verde & Black be vanquished, Cherundolo & Co. may then have to contend with a stout-looking Vancouver Whitecaps side in the Conference Semifinals. Yet their Son-powered rise has infused even this perennial contender with new levels of confidence and optimism about a second MLS Cup title.
“It's part of the DNA here to be fighting for trophies each year,” said Hollingshead. “But when you add Sonny to the equation, and you add the players that we've added, the depth that we have right now with our team, it's hard not to have your sights set there and feel like it's very attainable for us this year.”
