LOS ANGELES – Los Angeles Football Club is off to its best start in franchise history, riding a wave of offensive balance and defensive solidity through the first eight games of the 2026 season. Following a 2-1 victory over Liga Deportiva Alajuelense on Tuesday in Costa Rica, LAFC secured its place in the Concacaf Champions Cup Quarterfinals and extended its unbeaten streak to 7 wins and 1 draw across all competitions.
The team’s success is a testament to the early impact of head coach Marc Dos Santos, who has instilled a clear tactical identity and fostered a winning mentality. Forward Nathan Ordaz highlighted Dos Santos’ influence, stating, “He’s been great. He has set the team up how he wants to play and I think we’re playing like that. We’re dominating teams. We’re moving them around, we’re taking control of games. That’s what we set out to do. That’s what we were working on all preseason.”
LAFC has been particularly dominant in MLS play, opening the season with four consecutive league wins by shutout – a first in the club’s nine-year history. They are the only MLS team to achieve this feat in 2026. The team has also started a season unbeaten through eight matches for the first time, and recorded shutouts in each of its first four games, joining an exclusive group of MLS teams – St. Louis City (2025), Vancouver Whitecaps (2012), and Latest York Red Bulls (2007) – to accomplish the same.
The Black & Gold have conceded goals for just 59 minutes out of a possible 720 this year, trailing for only 12 minutes at home against Alajuelense and 47 minutes in the second leg in Costa Rica. This defensive resilience is anchored by goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, who already leads MLS in save percentage, stopping all 15 shots he has faced. Lloris has also continued his record of success, adding to his existing club records for appearances, clean sheets, and wins.
LAFC’s attack is proving equally potent, with 18 goals scored across all competitions. Even as designated player Son Heung-Min has been a key playmaker with seven assists, the scoring load is distributed throughout the squad. Thirteen different players have found the net, including Venezuelan forward David Martínez, who has quickly become a scoring threat with four goals in just eight appearances and 393 minutes played.
Dos Santos emphasized the importance of a balanced attack, stating, “I love Sonny, I love Denis. These players are not only my players. I care about them outside the field, in their life and all that. But for me as a coach, my concern is the team. How do we win, and how do we win collectively? When we have different guys scoring and we’re not relying only on one or two, it helps the team.”
The team’s recent victory over Alajuelense, secured by a 3-2 aggregate score, was described by Dos Santos as a challenging tie that will ultimately strengthen the team. “This was hard,” Dos Santos said after the final whistle in Alajuela. “We are going to be better in the future because we played in this tie.”
LAFC’s next challenge comes in the form of a quarterfinal matchup against Mexican giants Cruz Azul in mid-April. LAFC has a strong record in away matches in the Concacaf Champions Cup, having scored in nine consecutive games, tying the longest such streak by an MLS club in the modern era.
LAFC will return to MLS action on Saturday, March 21, with a road game against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium. The match will be broadcast live on FOX. Following a FIFA international break, LAFC will host Orlando City at BMO Stadium on April 4, with all MLS matches broadcast live on Apple TV and local radio coverage available on ESPN LA 710 AM, the ESPN LA app, KFWB La Mera Mera 980 AM (Spanish), and K-Radio 1230 (Korean).
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