Los Angeles FC forward Denis Bouanga has set sights on surpassing Carlos Vela’s goalscoring record in the El Trafico derby with rivals Los Angeles Galaxy after netting a brace in Saturday’s entertaining 3-3 Major League Soccer draw at BMO Stadium, Afrosport reports.
The Gabon forward scored in the 26th and 67th minute to give LAFC a 3-1 lead.
The reigning US Open Cup champions were however unable to hold it against the current MLS Cup champions as Gabriel Pec got a brace of his own while Colombian defender Eddie Segura was given a straight red card in added time, reducing LAFC to 10 men and allowing the Galaxy to level up for 3-3 thanks to former Southampton defender Maya Yoshida.
Bouanga became the first player to score in six consecutive El Trafico fixtures and surpassed former Galaxy star Zlatan Ibrahimovic as the second highest goalscorer in the fixture with 10 goals, putting him just three goals shy of surpassing LAFC and Mexican icon Vela.
He is also seven strikes away from surpassing Vela’s tally of 87 goals as LAFC’s all-time leading scorer.
“For me, it’s like the final,” he said per the MLS website.
“You need to push your boundaries, and it’s a derby, it’s always special. I hope that next year I’ll be able to score more and pass Carlos.
“Vela is an icon. This record is affiliated more with the team effort rather than individual records. So as long as the team is happy with what I’m doing, and if I can get past Carlos, this is what matters the most.”
Denis. Bouanga. pic.twitter.com/zuRcVnO5hX
— LAFC (@LAFC) July 20, 2025
Bouanga has scored 13 goals in the MLS this season, which sees him sit joint-fifth in the scorers charts, alongside Cameroon’s Eric Choupo-Moting, Hugo Cuypers and Dejan Joveljic, while he is five strikes behind leading marksman Lionel Messi.
