Denis Bouanga scored his second hat trick in three games to make some unique MLS history and lift LAFC to a 4-1 victory over visiting Real Salt Lake on Sunday evening.

Bouanga's 20th, 21st and 22nd goals made him the first player in the league's 30-year lifespan to equal or surpass 20 goals in three consecutive seasons and moved him even with Lionel Messi atop the MLS Golden Boot leaderboard.

Son Heung-min also scored his sixth goal in his seventh MLS match and had two assists for fourth-place LAFC (14-7-8, 50 points), which moved five points above fifth-place Seattle in the Western Conference and within four of third-place Minnesota, which has played two more matches.

Either Bouanga or Son has scored each of LAFC's 14 goals in a five-match run, including all 12 in a recent three-match

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