Football
Football
Son Heung-min Scores First League Goal in LAFC’s Derby Victory
Son Heung-min Scores First League Goal in LAFC’s Derby Victory
Son Heung-min, captain of the national football team, marked his return to club play with his first league goal of the season for Los Angeles FC (LAFC). The striker found the net in the 16th round of the Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season against rivals LA Galaxy, held on August 18th, Korean time, at Dignity Health Sports Park in LA, California.
The goal came in the 12th minute of the second half, a decisive right-footed shot following a one-touch pass from Mark Delgado, extending LAFC’s lead to 3-0. Son had previously recorded nine assists in the league this year, with two additional goals in the CONCACAF Champions Cup bringing his season total to three. He was substituted in the 31st minute of the second half by Taylor Boyd.
This match was Son’s first since the World Cup break, where his national team faced an early exit. He expressed a strong desire to return to club play quickly after the disappointing World Cup results. For this LA Derby, Son started as the central forward in a 4-3-3 formation, alongside Denis Bouanga and Jacob Shaffelburg, with Hugo Lloris in goal.
LAFC secured a 3-0 victory, bringing their record to 8 wins, 3 draws, and 5 losses (27 points), placing them third in the Western Conference. Football statistics site FotMob noted Son’s performance over 76 minutes included 6 shots, 2 shots on target, a 97% pass success rate (28 of 29 passes), and 2 chances created, leading both teams in total shots.
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