Minnesota United didn’t allow a penalty kick attempt through the opening dozen games this season.
Loons right wing back D.J. Taylor has now given up two in the last two games, and the one he allowed to Denis Bouanga on Wednesday was all Los Angeles FC needed in a 2-0 win at at BMO Stadium.
Meanwhile, MNUFC (7-3-4, 25 points) was shutout for the first time in eight matches and saw its six-match unbeaten streak snapped.
With a golazo from Mateusz Bogusz serving as insurance in the 82nd minute, LAFC (8-4-3, 27 points) extended its winning run to four matches. They moved ahead of MNUFC with the three points.
The Loons appeared to take a 1-0 lead on a corner kick in the 29th minute, but an assistant referee ruled Joseph Rosales’ out-swinging service cleared the end line before Micky Tapias headed it home. Tapias’ smile was erased with the call.
That was the rare offensive bright spots for MNUFC.
Later on, Rosales put more corners over the end line, to cut out those set pieces before they could reach the box.
Bouanga, the 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner, was taken down by Taylor in the first half, and Bouanga calmly converted a penalty kick. Taylor was also whistled for a PK on Saturday, but Dayne St. Clair couldn’t bail out Taylor Wednesday like he did in the 3-3 draw with Colorado Rapids.
Teemu Pukki returned to the starting XI vs. LAFC, but the striker missed a close shot in the 62nd minute and his goalless drought extended to 570 minutes since early March.
The Loons had beat LAFC in their first matchup this season, 2-0 on March 16.
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