Son Heung-min once again made his presence felt. He came on as a substitute, set up the groundwork for the comeback goal and recorded attacking points in two consecutive matches, and Los Angeles FC escaped a potential loss with a dramatic equalizer just before the end of the match.
LAFC drew 2-2 with San Diego FC in an away match of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) held at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, at 10:30 a.m. on the 3rd (Korean time).
LAFC added one point to move to 21 points and stayed in third place, extending their unbeaten run to three league matches (one win, two draws). Meanwhile, San Diego lost the victory they had nearly secured and remained in 11th place with 12 points. Although they succeeded in snapping a five-game losing streak, it was a result that did not allow them to simply celebrate.
Son Heung-min started the match on the bench. LAFC rotated heavily because Son Heung-min played the full 90 minutes in the first leg of the 2026 CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal against Toluca on the 30th of last month, and the second leg away in Mexico is scheduled for the 7th, so some key players including Son Heung-min were rested.
But LAFC struggled throughout the first half. They were outpossessed 34% to 66% and were behind in shots 1 to 6. They did not register a single shot on target. Eventually they conceded in the 7th minute of the first half. From a corner kick, Marcus Ingvartsen headed in the ball delivered by Anders Dreyer, putting San Diego ahead first.
To change the momentum, LAFC brought on David Martínez and Marco Delgado at the start of the second half. Son Heung-min entered the field in the 15th minute of the second half. However, LAFC conceded another goal in the 26th minute of the second half due to a fatal mistake. They lost the ball in their own half and conceded a counterattack, and Ingvartsen, who received the ball inside the penalty area, calmly finished with a right-footed shot to complete his brace.
The player who woke up LAFC from a 0-2 deficit was Son Heung-min. In the 37th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min collected the ball on the left side of the penalty area and threaded an accurate pass to the penetrating Deni Bouanga. Even from a narrow angle, Bouanga struck with his left foot toward the near side of the goal, and LAFC rekindled the spark of a comeback.
With that assist Son Heung-min recorded his 15th assist of the season and his eighth assist in the league. He rose to sole first place in MLS assists. Following the Toluca match, he recorded attacking points in two consecutive official matches, continuing to act as a finisher amid a packed schedule.
With momentum on their side, LAFC launched an all-out attack in the final minutes. In stoppage time of the second half, Bouanga's shot was saved by the goalkeeper, and Son Heung-min's shot was blocked by an opponent's body. But in the final moment they finally equalized. From a corner kick, Mathieu Choinière dropped the ball and Ryan Hollingshead pushed it in with his left foot in front of the goal.
Facing likely defeat, LAFC regained their rhythm after Son Heung-min's introduction and ultimately took a valuable away point. It was not a win, but Son Heung-min's influence was clear. LAFC now heads to the away leg in Mexico for a CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal with their unbeaten league momentum.
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