LAFC is among favorites to win MLS title

Team has won six of last eight games with potent one-two punch of Son and Bouanga.

- By KEVIN BAXTER

DENIS BOUANGA celebrates a goal at BMO Stadium on Oct. 5. He's scored 11 times in his last 10 games. SON HEUNG-MIN has given a big boost to winger Bouanga and LAFC, the No. 3 seed in the conference.

(KEVORK DJANSEZIAN Getty Images CHRIS GARDNER Getty Images)

When Steve Cherundolo announced last spring that he would be leaving LAFC at the end of the season to rejoin his wife’s family in her native Germany, he seemed excited about the reunion.

Six months later, with LAFC preparing to enter the MLS playoffs, that reunion is just a loss away. So now Cherundolo, who took LAFC to the MLS Cup final twice in his first three seasons as coach, is hoping to put off that departure for another couple of months.

“Td love to stay until early December,” he said. “That would be ideal. That is what we're all trying to achieve at LAFC.”

And that appears well within reach for LAFC (17-8-9), which has six wins and 19 points in its last eight games, the last a 2-2 draw Saturday in Colorado. As a result LAFC, the No. 3 seed in the conference, will enter the playoffs as the hottest team in the West and arguably the best team in MLS since the midsummer acquisition of forward Son Heung-min.

LAFC has lost just one of the 10 games the former Tottenham captain has played in, with Son scoring nine goals and assisting on three others. He has also provided a big boost to winger Denis Bouanga, who scored Il times in his last 10 games, giving LAFC the most dynamic scoring tandem in the league.

LAFC will open the best-of-three conference quarterfinals Oct. 29 against Austin (13-13-8) at BMO Stadium. The second leg will be played in Texas with a third game, if necessary, in Los Angeles.