Inter Miami didn’t just lose in Los Angeles, they were overwhelmed. LAFC came out bold, sharp, and unapologetically aggressive, feeding off 75,000 voices at a packed Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. From the first whistle, the energy belonged to the home side. And on a night built around Lionel Messi’s return to MLS action, it was LAFC who owned the spotlight.
Son Heung-Min set the tone early. He tested Dayne St. Clair in a one-on-one and never stopped moving, never stopped demanding the ball. In the 38th minute, he slipped a perfectly weighted assist to David Martínez, who finished cleanly with his left foot to give LAFC the lead. LAFC weren’t here to survive the hype. They were here to dominate it.
Miami never found a rhythm. In transition, they looked stretched. In possession, rushed. LAFC sensed it and attacked the spaces with precision. Timothy Tillman’s long ball in the 72nd minute found Denis Bouanga running free, and the winger calmly beat St. Clair to make it 2-0. Bouanga was relentless down the left side all night, impossible to contain, and he wasn’t done yet.
Deep into stoppage time, Bouanga capped off his performance by assisting Nathan Ordaz for the third. Fresh off the bench, Ordaz finished the move and sealed the 3-0 scoreline. LAFC remain perfect in season openers, and this one felt symbolic: organized, fearless, efficient.
In the stands, Messi jerseys filled the Coliseum. The Argentine star, back from recent physical discomfort and named in Javier Mascherano’s starting XI, drew the cameras and the anticipation. But this night belonged to LAFC. Sometimes the narrative writes itself around a superstar. And sometimes, the game rewrites it.
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