LAFC forward Denis Bouanga, center, moves the ball past FC Dallas midfielder Patrickson Delgado (8) during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, top, deflects the ball against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC forward Son Heung-Min (7) chases the ball down defended by FC Dallas defender Osaze Urhoghide during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC fans cheer during the second half of an MLS match against FC Dallas at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
A LAFC fan cheers with a megaphone during the second half of an MLS match against FC Dallas at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC forward David Martínez, right, is hugged by forward Son Heung-Min after Martínez scores the winning goal against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC midfielder Amin Boudri (65) takes a goal shot against FC Dallas during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC defender Sergi Palencia, front, winds up to kick the ball chased by FC Dallas defender Herman Johansson during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC forward Son Heung-Min, left, controls the ball as FC Dallas midfielder Ricky Louis looks on during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC forward Tyler Boyd, left, controls the ball defended by FC Dallas forward Bernard Kamungo (77) during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC forward David Martínez, front, moves the ball chased by FC Dallas defender Sebastien Ibeagha (25) during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC defender Ryan Porteous (5) deflects the ball off his chest against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman, front, kicks the ball downfield chased by FC Dallas midfielder Christian Cappis during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC defender Sergi Palencia (14) recovers the ball against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC forward Denis Bouanga (99) kicks the ball against FC Dallas during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC forward David Martínez (30) controls the ball against FC Dallas midfielder Christian Cappis (12) during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LAFC midfielder Timothy Tillman, bottom, slide tackles FC Dallas defender Shaq Moore during the first half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
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LAFC forward Denis Bouanga, center, moves the ball past FC Dallas midfielder Patrickson Delgado (8) during the second half of an MLS match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, on Saturday, March 7, 2026. (Photo by Raul Romero Jr., Contributing Photographer)
LOS ANGELES — Born 19 years apart, the Los Angeles Football Club’s eldest player, Hugo Lloris, joined its youngest available option on Saturday, David Martínez, to deliver key performances that continued the Black & Gold’s perfect start to the 2026 season.
A choppy contest with nervy moments early on for LAFC, Marc Dos Santos’ side found its form to lock down a 1-0 victory and take nine points out of nine to open the Major League Soccer calendar, improving to 5-0-0 in all competitions.
“I remember last year, if you think about games like this, we would lose,” Dos Santos said. “We would lose 1-0 against Portland or Austin on a set play. We were able to find solutions at the end of the day and win the game.”
Martínez, 20, was a constant threat for the 80 minutes he played, connecting on a blistering game-winning goal from 25 yards out prior to the hour mark.
“I feel I’ve been more mature,” Martínez said. “I’ve been taking every opportunity.”
Signing with LAFC at the age of 17, Martínez arrived from a small town in Venezuela. He showed flashes of the brilliant talent that precipitated his signing, but not consistently enough over the previous two seasons under former head coach Steve Cherundolo, who watched the match from inside the stadium.
“David needed time to adapt to everything,” Dos Santos said. “That’s No. 1. And No. 2, what I felt, is he’s more comfortable in inside pockets, and I was just trying to bring a guy who was a little bit too much outside in my opinion and bring him in pockets where he will be comfortable.”
Suiting up for Dos Santos, who took him under his wing as an assistant for Cherundolo, Martínez has delivered early in LAFC’s third season.
“He sees me like maybe his big brother and he knows when it’s not good, I’m going to tell him,” Dos Santos said. “Sometimes I call him in and he looks at my eyes and he says, ‘Oh no.’ So we have this relationship.”
Lloris, meanwhile, had as many saves in the opening half hour of the match as the 39-year-old French icon made during each of his three previous games, finishing with five by the final whistle.
The World Cup-winning captain for France in 2014 displayed his still spry reflexes on his third save of the opening half. After punching away a corner kick, Lloris redirected a laser off the left foot of Bernard Kamungo over the crossbar in front of an announced crowd of 22,130 at BMO Stadium.
“Listen, he’s a Rolls-Royce,” Scottish center Back Ryan Porteous said of Lloris. “He’s someone who I think, for the first three games, hadn’t had a lot to do. A couple good saves but ultimately it was pretty quiet and I think he’ll be happy about that. But tonight he was called upon, and that’s what top goalkeepers do.”
Shortly after the break, Lloris stopped talented Dallas forward Logan Farrington, who skirted through the back line and took a shot deep inside the box that crashed off the goalkeeper’s chest.
The French icon made his last save during seven minutes of second-half stoppage time, denying Dallas forward Petar Musa’s volley near the penalty spot with a diving two-handed parry to preserve the victory and his 26th shutout in 68 regular season appearances.
“Everybody is playing a role that allows us to be in a position where we don’t concede,” Dos Santos said. “And today [Lloris] was really important in that. He’s a leader. He’s a great guy. He trains well. He has a good personality in training with everyone. Some people, when they open their mouth, it’s not very good. Him, every time he opens his mouth, it’s really good. It’s a talent.”
Grinding to build out of the back and through the middle while a physical Dallas (1-1-1, 4 points) team kept a compact formation, LAFC (3-0-0, 9 points) seemed less than sure about its approach for much of the opening half.
Dallas goalkeeper Michael Collodi also played a key role in keeping his team alive until the end.
In the 23rd minute, he dove to snuff out a Bouanga try. He stuck his left leg out to thwart Son Heung-in in the 44th. Martínez, showing ambition all night, nearly connected with Bouanga in the 70th. And Lloris drilled a deep ball in the 79th minute, nearly combining with Son and Bouanga.
Neither Son nor Bouanga got on the score sheet for the team’s third straight match.
The Korean superstar, shown a yellow card in the 10th minute for going down in the box, played the full match while Bouanga exited late.
“Imagine the team when the two are going to unlock,” Dos Santos pondered. “I keep saying to win, you need to be a team. To be a team, you can’t rely on one or two guys. You have to rely on everyone. I like that direction, and I’m very excited about when other things are going to unlock.”
Martínez’s finish in the 55th minute, his second of the MLS campaign and third overall this season, materialized on the right side out of nothing.
With Dallas sitting in a low block, using a 5-4-1, LAFC’s patience allowed Canadian midfielder Stephen Eustáquio to recycle the ball to Martínez, whose hammer strike with his left foot was hit too well for Collodi to save despite getting a hand on it.
The goal was Martínez’s second game-winner after doing the same against Inter Miami in the MLS opener at the Memorial Coliseum.
Starting the season with four games in 12 days during the month of February, Saturday’s match began a stretch of five games in 16 days this month.
Saturday’s taxing win precedes the first leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup Round of 16 at BMO Stadium against Costa Rican power Alajuelense.
“I would say the game on Tuesday is very important because the second leg is away,” Dos Santos said. “We have to recover well and have the freshest team possible.”