Where do LAFC's Son Heung-Min and Denis Bouanga rank among best duos in MLS history? Rating the league's top tandems

Yes, there was the David Beckham era for the LA Galaxy. But there was another following the English icon's departure: the Donovan-Keane era.

Landon Donovan remains the true face of the LA Galaxy, the star that accomplished it all during his extended run as the guy in MLS. There's a reason the MLS MVP award is named after him. He didn't do it alone, though, as, starting in 2011, he was joined by Irish star Robbie Keane to form a duo that turned winning MLS Cups into something of a habit.

During their four seasons together, they lifted the big trophy three times. Each time, Donovan and Keane were a huge part of it.

"It’s been an honor to play with him," Keane said of Donovan at the time. "The understanding that we’ve both had on the field, the amount of goals both of us have scored and assists we have provided over the last four years has been fantastic. It is definitely up there with the best partnerships I’ve had in the game."

During their run together, they accounted for 174 combined goals and assists, nearly half of the Galaxy's numbers in total in that stretch. It's why, for many, Keane and Donovan remain the gold standard for partnerships in MLS.

They were here for a good time, not a long time, and those in Seattle would say it was a very, very good time. In the spring and summer of 2013, the Sounders took two big swings to bring Obafemi Martins and Clint Dempsey on board from Europe. It was, particularly at the time, a massive statement from the club. In truth, the ball didn't get rolling right away but, once it did, there was no stopping it.

In 2014, the Oba-Deuce duo exploded, leading the Sounders to the Supporters' Shield and the U.S. Open Cup. Martins finished with 17 goals, a club record, as well as 13 assists. Dempsey had 15 goals. What made those so special, though, was the manner in which they were scored. 

Throughout their run together, Dempsey and Martins often made it look like they were playing in a recreational league, not in MLS' biggest matches. There was a certain ease and flair to every goal they scored.

"I love playing with Oba," Dempsey said in 2015. "He’s one of the players I’ve enjoyed the most playing with in my career because it reminds me of being a kid playing pickup style, just thinking alike and knowing that if you make the right run, he’s going to find you."

Unfortunately, neither Dempsey nor Martins were around for the Sounders' crowning achievement two years later. Martins had, at that point, headed to China for a massive payday. Dempsey, meanwhile, was sidelined with a heart condition that prevented him from helping the Sounders lift the MLS Cup that winter.

For those who remember that era, though, the Dempsey-Martins combo was just as iconic as the MLS Cup trophy - and they paved the way.

During the mid-to-late-2010s, MLS was often defined by Seattle and Toronto, who met in the league final three times in a four-year span. Toronto was led by an attacking duo of their own. One big, one small, but Toronto FC's two attackers - Jozy Altidore and Sebastian Giovinco - ultimately ended up being a perfect pairing.

“For me, it’s a pleasure to play with Jozy," Giovinco said. "He’s more physical, I’m more technical, so we complete each other.”

After swinging and missing with Jermain Defoe, Toronto FC handed the attacking keys to Altidore and Giovinco, who arrived in January 2015. What followed was nothing short of magic. Giovinco, the diminutive Italian, became the first player to lead MLS in goals and assists in the same season. He was also the first player to record consecutive seasons of 30-plus goals and assists.

Altidore, meanwhile, was right there with him, hitting double figures for goals in each of their first three seasons together. With Altidore and Giovinco leading the line, and Michael Bradley anchoring the midfield, Toronto FC made it to three MLS Cups, winning in 2017. They also won a Supporters' Shield and three Canadian Championships, with Altidore and Giovinco playing definitive roles.

One for the OGs here. Marco Etcheverry and Jaime Moreno were the league's original duo and, to this day, their achievements match up with virtually any other. The two Bolivian stars were the iconic faces of MLS' early years, with Etcheverry so often the creator and Moreno so often the one finishing.

Together, they won three MLS Cups to establish D.C. United's dominance in the league's first years. To take it one step further, they also lifted a CONCACAF Champions Cup, too, to prove that D.C. - and MLS - could compete with the very best in the region.

“I’ve known Marco since my first cap with the national team in the 1991 Copa America," Moreno said in 2013. "Since then, we have always had an amazing friendship. We then met at D.C. and my arrival to the club was so quick, I don’t think he was even expecting it. Marco means titles, and with him, we had the best years in D.C.

"Today, soccer is different and is not as exquisite as it was before. Marco used to put that exquisite touch to the game and to D.C.”

For many, they will be the best on this list, and there's plenty to back that up. Both were named to MLS All-Time Best XI in 2005 and, while MLS has evolved since they ran things in the late '90s, they remain part of the league's foundation.

Their trademark Dragon Ball Z celebration alluded to them fusing together. It was fitting, too, because Josef Martinez and Miguel Almrion seemingly played as one during their brief run with Atlanta United.

"Sometimes, maybe when I’m tired from training, I’ll just give them the short answer," Martinez wrote in the Players' Tribune. "I’ll look around the room for Miguel, point at him and say, 'You see that guy? He’s why I’m so good.'"

Signed to lead an ambitious Atlanta side, the two had a very good start together, one that featured 28 goals in 2017. However, in 2018, Martinez and Almiron exploded to lead Atlanta to an MLS Cup in the club's second season. The Venezuelan striker set the MLS single-season goal record with 31. Almrion, not to be outdone, had 12 goals of his own to go with 14 assists. many of which were to the dynamic Martinez.

Almiron left that winter, making the big-money move to Newcastle, but there's no denying the impact that the two had. They didn't just win, they showed teams what's possible if you spend money on the right young stars.

There there are common threads among the best MLS tandems. Goals and assists, for sure, but what truly defines these duos are trophies. There needs to be silverware in the mix. So, then, the road ahead for Son and Bouanga is clear: win.

There's an MLS Cup in front of them and, based on this recent evidence, they're among the favorites. Winning that trophy would make it hard to deny their place in history, both as individuals and as a pair.

“There is a great team spirit right now," Bouanga said last weekend. "All the team is together, but the most important thing right now in playoffs is to take it game after game. With Sonny, with myself and with the team, we think we can do big things."

They have that potential. Just a few months into their partnership, Bouanga and Son already seem to have the right combination of chemistry and talent. This partnership is just beginning, which might just be a frightening fact for the rest of the league as LAFC's superstar attack continues to make their mark on MLS.