Dénis Bouanga’s sizzling stretch-drive form has earned the LAFC forward MLS Player of the Month presented by CELSIUS honors for October 2023.
In the regular season's final month, Bouanga had six goals and one assist in four games to help him secure the Golden Boot presented by Audi, finishing the season with 20 goals.
Bouanga is LAFC's first Player of the Month winner since Carlos Vela in September 2019, which also punctuated his Golden Boot-winning campaign. The 28-year-old is the third LAFC player to take home the award, joining Vela and Adama Diomande (June 2018).
The Gabon international struck for a hat trick, his second of the season, in a 5-1 win over Minnesota United FC on Oct. 4, which earned him MLS Player of the Matchday presented by Continental Tire honors for Matchday 36.
Bouanga, who led MLS with five multi-goal games, added three goal contributions (2g/1a) in a 4-2 victory at Austin FC on Oct. 7 and closed out with a goal in a 1-1 Decision Day draw at Vancouver Whitecaps FC.
Bouanga’s 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 games for the Miami Fusion in 2001.
LAFC, the Western Conference's No. 3 seed in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, begin their title defense vs. Vancouver in a Round One Best-of-3 series that starts Saturday evening at BMO Stadium (8 pm ET | Apple TV - Free). The Black & Gold hope to become the fourth team in league history to win consecutive MLS Cups, and the first since the LA Galaxy in 2011-12.
