Mathieu Choiniere Shines with Two Goals in LAFC Victory Against St. Louis City
Choiniere Shines as LAFC Claims Victory Over St. Louis City
Mathieu Choiniere was the standout performer on Saturday night, scoring two goals to lead Los Angeles FC (LAFC) to a 2-0 victory against St. Louis City. This marks the 27-year-old’s second multi-goal game in his Major League Soccer (MLS) career. Hugo Lloris, the team’s goalkeeper, achieved his fourth consecutive shutout, solidifying LAFC’s strong defense.
Lloris made four saves during the match, helping LAFC maintain an undefeated record of 4-0-0 this season. Impressively, the club has outscored its opponents 8-0 thus far. The 39-year-old goalkeeper’s performance aligns him with Roman Bürki, a notable figure in MLS history, as the only players to achieve four consecutive shutouts at the start of a season. Lloris recorded 12 clean sheets in each of his first two seasons with the team.
Choiniere, now in his ninth MLS season, came into this match with a total of 12 goals across 132 appearances. His first goal came in the 73rd minute when he intercepted a pass near midfield, sprinted to the top of the penalty arc, and curled a shot inside the left post. He doubled the lead in the 81st minute with a powerful shot from the right corner of the penalty box, which slipped between the legs of St. Louis defender Timo Baumgartl and found the net.
For St. Louis City, goalkeeper Bürki recorded three saves but could not secure a win, leaving the team with a record of 0-3-1 this season. LAFC’s Denis Bouanga nearly opened the scoring earlier in the match, hitting the crossbar shortly after the kickoff, while teammate Nate Ordaz saw his shot strike the right post.
In a show of solidarity, players from both teams wore black armbands emblazoned with “IL” in white lettering, honoring Ilona Löwen, the wife of St. Louis City’s Eduard Löwen, who recently passed away after a two-year battle with brain cancer. Eduard Löwen, who joined St. Louis City as a designated player in 2022, has not participated in this season’s matches.
