LAFC extended their flawless start to the 2026 Major League Soccer season with a composed 2–0 victory over St. Louis CITY SC at BMO Stadium on Saturday night, courtesy of a brilliant second-half brace from Canadian winger Mathieu Choinière.
For much of the evening, this looked like a fixture that might end without a goal. The first half was a tight, well-contested affair, with neither side able to find a breakthrough despite both teams probing for openings. St. Louis, who arrived in Los Angeles having managed just three draws and no wins from their opening fixtures, showed resilience and a willingness to press high — finishing the match with an impressive 55% possession and 18 total shots — but their inability to convert chances would prove their undoing.
LAFC, for their part, were efficient rather than spectacular through the opening 45 minutes. With 45% possession, Steve Cherundolo’s side were content to let their visitors carry the ball and look to hit on the counter. The Black & Gold fashioned 16 shots across the match, and when the moments mattered most, they had the right man to take them.
Choinière Takes Centre Stage
The breakthrough came on 73 minutes, and it was number 66, Mathieu Choinière, who finally broke St. Louis hearts. The winger, who operates with sharp movement and an instinct for space, latched onto the opportunity to put LAFC ahead — a goal that seemed to release the tension that had built throughout a cagey evening on the pitch.
If St. Louis had any hopes of responding, they were extinguished just eight minutes later. Choinière struck again in the 81st minute, doubling both his personal tally and LAFC’s lead to seal the three points in emphatic fashion. Two goals in the space of eight second-half minutes — the kind of clinical burst that wins matches and lifts table standings.
St. Louis had the lion’s share of possession and actually out-shot LAFC 18 to 16, but with only four efforts on target compared to LAFC’s five, the game’s harsh lesson was one of ruthlessness. Possession without penetration amounts to nothing against a team as well-organized as LAFC.
A Perfect Record Maintained
The result moves LAFC to a remarkable 4-0-0 record to open the 2026 MLS season — four wins from four, with no dropped points. The form guide tells the story clearly: W-D-W-W-W, with Saturday’s victory the latest confirmation that this is a team operating with real purpose and belief. St. Louis, meanwhile, slip to 0-1-3, their wait for a first win of the season continuing as they head home from the West Coast empty-handed.
Choinière’s match-winning performance will be the headline act from BMO Stadium tonight, and rightly so. Two composed finishes at a critical stage of the match demonstrated both quality and nerve — exactly the kind of contribution that separates contenders from the rest in a competitive Western Conference.
LAFC marches on. Los Angeles is looking like a very dangerous place to visit in 2026.
