AUSTIN, Texas — Denis Bouanga had two goals and an assist on Sunday night to help Los Angeles FC beat Austin FC 4-1 and sweep the best-of-three series in the first round of the MLS Cup playoffs.

LAFC, which won Game 1 2-1, plays at second-seeded Vancouver in the one-game Western Conference semifinals.

Son Heung-Min added a goal and an assist for No. 3 seed LAFC. Jeremy Ebobisse replaced Son in the 88th minute and capped the scoring in the third minute of stoppage time.

Son, on the counter-attack, hesitated to freeze defender Ilie Sánchez at the top of the area and then exploded toward the left end line and blasted a shot from the corner of the 6-yard box inside the back post to open the scoring in the 21st. About four minutes later, Son fed Bouanga for a finish — the 30-year-old’s 100th goal across all competitions for LAFC — into a wide-open net to make it 2-0.

Bouanga cut inside to evade defender Brendan Hines-Ike — who fell to the ground — and then flicked a shot into the net from the left center of the area in the 44th minute.

Bouanga is the only active player — and is one of just nine in history — with at least 10 career goals in the MLS Cup playoffs.

LAFC’s Hugo Lloris — who was second in MLS with 12 shutouts in the regular season — had three saves, including a diving stop on a penalty kick by Myrto Uzuni in the 39th minute after a hand ball in the area by Bouanga.

Ryan Porteous was shown a yellow card for a foul in the area and Dani Pereira converted from the spot in the sixth minute of stoppage time to make it 3-1 at halftime.

CJ Fodrey appeared to have cut sixth-seeded Austin’s deficit to 3-2 in the 71st minute, but an offsides call nullified the would-be goal.

LOS ANGELES — Since arriving in MLS two years ago, French attacker Denis Bouanga has been a black and gold wrecking ball.

Making his hundredth career appearance for LAFC on Wednesday night, Bouanga’s 67th goal matched club legend Carlos Vela over that same span. It took Vela four seasons to reach the century mark, while Bouanga did it in less than two and a half.

From his first goal with LAFC to clinch the Supporters’ Shield in 2022 through his 15th game-winner in a 1-0 victory over St. Louis City on Wednesday at BMO Stadium, Bouanga has become something of a security blanket for head coach Steve Cherundolo.

“When he’s on the field I’m very warm, I guess,” Cherundolo said. “Warm and cozy inside. He’s a great player.

“We know we can count on him. He knows his responsibility on this team is to come up with those moments, and I think right now it’s just a great little marriage.”

The 2023 MLS Golden Boot winner’s 19th league goal of the season kept the 29-year-old Gabonese international within three of D.C. United’s Christian Benteke in the race to be the league’s top scorer.

“I’m eager,” said Bouanga, who spoke with Benteke on Monday and reiterated that he is trying his best to catch the 33-year-old Congolese forward. “I’m hungry for more. I’m super happy that Steve feels fuzzy that I’m on the team.”

Bouanga’s league-leading ninth game-winner marked his 26th goal in all competitions in 2024, and his second in as many matches following a tremendous effort in Cincinnati last weekend to secure a 2-1 victory.

“He’s a true finisher,” Cherundolo said. “A true attacker. One you just kind of have to let go and play.”

While competing in France for a club that wasn’t in title contention, Bouanga did not enjoy the freedom to roam through opposing defenses like he has with LAFC. The Designated Player’s latest decisive contribution, which came during five minutes of stoppage time prior to halftime, provided yet another sample of his explosive qualities.

Darting past a pair of St. Louis defenders, from straight away Bouanga hammered a shot into the far corner – but it was the buildup that made the play.

Recovering the ball off a goal kick from St. Louis, seven LAFC players were involved inside their opponent’s half of the field. Backheels by Timothy Tillman and Olivier Giroud kept the action alive, and it was the French striker’s touch that allowed Mateusz Bogusz space to feed Bouanga on the other side of the field.

For Giroud, who celebrated his 38th birthday on Monday, the goal contribution was his second assist in as many games; he also helped Bouanga with a touch in their last match.

The clean sheet was the fourth time in four meetings against St. Louis (7-12-13, 34 points) that LAFC didn’t concede. The visitors took seven shots, three of which were blocked, but they never threatened Hugo Lloris, whose save-less shutout was his MLS-best 11th of the season.

“It brings a lot of confidence from a keeper who is a world champ,” said fullback Omar Campos, who made his third consecutive start in league play. “He knows what he says and what he does, so there’s no better person to take that from.

“All week we worked on tiny things that we needed to touch up on defensively, and tonight it was reflected on the pitch.”

The coaching staff focused on spacing, positioning on the field in certain moments when the ball is uncovered, and what should be prioritized.