When Son Heung-min (33, LAFC) recorded his first hat trick on the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) stage, the locker room was in a festive mood.
LAFC beat Real Salt Lake 4-1 in an MLS away match in Salt Lake City, Utah, on the 18th (Korean time), powered by Son Heung-min's three goals.
Son started as the front striker in a 4-3-3 formation that day. Just 2 minutes into the match, he slipped into the space behind the opposing defense and opened the scoring. In the 16th minute of the first half, he scored his second with a right-footed shot from outside the box. In the 36th minute of the second half, he completed the hat trick by receiving a pass from Dany Bouanga and nudging the ball in with his toe. He was substituted out in the 41st minute of the second half to a standing ovation from the crowd.
LAFC conceded a goal in the 31st minute of the second half from an overhead shot by Gonzo, but sealed a 4-1 victory with Bouanga's insurance goal in the 43rd minute of the second half.
The locker room was in a festive mood after the match. Steven Cherundolo, LAFC manager, handed Son Heung-min the match ball to commemorate the hat trick and praised him, saying, "Son Heung-min recorded the club's first hat trick."
Son expressed his joy by kissing the ball in his celebration. Bouanga smiled beside him and shared the joy.
Son said, "Thanks for the congratulations. It's my first in MLS, but I've already had hat tricks in the Premier League (laughs). I'm glad to contribute to the team. The defenders did well, which made it shine even more."
Son has four previous hat tricks in the Premier League during his time at Tottenham. He achieved his first hat trick by scoring four goals against Southampton in September 2020, and he found the net three times each against Aston Villa and Leicester City in 2022 and against Burnley in 2023.
With his performance against Real Salt Lake, Son was named MLS's player of the matchday of the week by the MLS office. He won the round MVP for the first time in just his sixth MLS appearance. The award is given to a single player each round based on combined votes from the North American Sports Media Association and fan voting.
Following his 52-second goal against the San Jose Earthquakes in the previous match, Son is on a two-game scoring streak in the league. Including the September international matches, he has scored in four consecutive official games. Having adapted to MLS, he is now showing peak form.
[OSEN]