Bouanga scores 3 goals -- his 2nd hat trick in 3 games -- for LAFC in 4-1 win over RSL

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LOS ANGELES (AP) — Denis Bouanga scored three goals, his second hat trick in the last three games, and Los Angeles FC beat Real Salt Lake 4-1 on Sunday night.

Bouanga, who has scored in four consecutive games, has 22 goals this season, tied with Lionel Messi for the most in MLS. Bouanga had 20 goals in each of the last two season and is the first player in MLS history with at least 20 goals in three consecutive seasons.

The 30-year-old Bouanga, who also had three goals in a 4-2 win over San Jose on Sept. 13, has a club-record four career hat tricks in the regular season, one more than Carlos Vela.

Son Heung-min added a goal and two assists for Los Angeles (14-7-8).

LAFC, which clinched a spot in the 2025 MLS Cup playoffs when St. Louis beat San Jose 3-1 on Saturday, has 50 points and is fourth in the Western Conference. Third-place Minnesota has 54 points and Seattle is fifth with 45.

Son, who had his first hat trick in MLS to help Los Angeles beat RSL 4-1 on the road Wednesday, has seven goal contributions in the last three games.

Salt Lake (10-16-4) has lost five of six.

Bouanga scored in the first minute of first-half stoppage time and Son bounced a shot from outside the area off the near post and into the net a couple minutes later to give LAFC a 2-1 lead at halftime.

Bouanga added goals in the 73rd and 87th minutes.

Brayan Vera scored his first goal of the season in the 14th minute on a left-foot shot from well outside the area that slipped under the crossbar and inside the back post to give Salt Lake a 1-0 lead.

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