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Martínez scores early as LAFC bounces back against Minnesota United
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- Martínez scores early as LAFC bounces back against Minnesota United
David Martínez and LAFC earned three much-needed points in a bounce-back victory, shutting out Minnesota United FC 1-0 on Saturday afternoon at Allianz Field. The Black & Gold improved to 6-2-2, earning their first victory in league play since April 4.
"It's not a type of game that we want to play many times," said head coach Marc Dos Santos. "I felt that our decision-making in the first pass was not good enough. But we were great in the box...very good defending set plays against probably one of the best teams attacking with set plays in the league."
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It was just the second regular-season road victory all-time for Los Angeles against Minnesota , and their third straight clean-sheet performance against the club. A strong defensive showing led the way following the early ninth-minute score from Martínez.
Midfielder Timothy Tillman picked up an assist on the play, perfectly leaving the ball for Martínez as he rifled it past Minnesota goalkeeper Drake Callender from a tricky angle. The 20-year-old now has seven scores across all competitions in 2026, with Saturday's strike marking his first in league play since March 7.
Tillman relayed his nice passing into a solid overall performance, doing well defensively to help L.A. escape some dangerous situations deep in its own territory. He found himself perfectly positioned to deny a header attempt from defender Jefferson Díaz in the 29th minute, preserving the lead.
Hugo Lloris and the rest of LAFC 's defensive effort were sound throughout the contest, snapping Minnesota's four-game win streak and holding the side scoreless in league play for the first time in over a month. Lloris made three saves in the victory, earning his eighth clean sheet of the season to lead MLS.
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"I think it's our 10th clean sheet in 16 games. It's hard to do," said Dos Santos. "The important thing is to get the three points right now. This is what's in our head."
Callender also provided an impressive showing for the home side, making six saves and keeping L.A. from extending the lead despite numerous scoring chances. Denis Bouanga nearly added a second goal in the late stages of the second half on a breakaway opportunity, taking the shot from a similar angle as Martínez's score but getting denied by Callender.
Son Heung-min was not available to play in the victory, presumably getting the day off amidst what has been a jam-packed stretch of play.
"We've spoken enough this season about how much depth and quality this squad has, and I think today was a good example of that," said LAFC defender Ryan Porteous . "I think it's a good sign as well that we're all coming off the field knowing it wasn't a perfect performance, but we found a way to win the game. I think that's what good teams do."
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LAFC will play its fourth match in 11 days on Wednesday, hosting Toluca in the first leg of its Concacaf Champions Cup semifinals series. It will be a critical 90 minutes for the squad as they look to claim momentum before heading on the road to Toluca for a decisive second leg.
"We didn't want to have the week that we had with these three games. I would call it our darkest week this season," said Dos Santos. "Finding a way to win, being resilient, and working together as a team...that's the positive side before we go into leg one against Toluca, that is a giant of Mexico and a very difficult opponent."
Kickoff is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. PT.
