LAFC collapsed. It collapsed on the most important stage, and in the most painful way.
Los Angeles FC (LAFC), coached by Dos Santos, lost 0-4 to Toluca in the second leg of the 2026 Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Champions Cup semifinals at Estadio Nemesio Díez in Toluca, Mexico, on the 7th (Korea time). Having won the first leg at home 2-1 on the 30th of last month and gained an advantageous position for advancing to the final, they completely collapsed away and were eliminated on aggregate score 2-5.
It was a defeat without excuse. The trip to Toluca was not easy. Estadio Nemesio Díez sits at approximately 2,670 meters above sea level. With less air resistance, shots travel faster and farther. Toluca took full advantage of this. They overwhelmed LAFC with as many as 31 shots, 15 of them on target.
LAFC held on to a 0-0 score in the first half. But holding on was all they did. When fitness and concentration dropped together in the second half, the game tilted in an instant. After conceding one goal they wavered, and the defensive line completely collapsed thereafter. The result was four second-half goals conceded. The ticket to the final belonged to Toluca.
It was also a match of great disappointment for Son Heung-min. According to soccer statistics site FootMob, Son Heung-min received a rating of 5.2. It was the lowest score among both teams. He did not record a single shot, and there was also a scene that led to the late stoppage-time goal. The flow of the game made it difficult for him to show his presence as a forward, and in the end it was a performance that did not live up to his name.
Still, fans' anger was directed more at coach Dos Santos than at Son Heung-min personally. The fact that LAFC goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made more than 11 saves yet conceded four goals explains everything. When a goalkeeper is the team's best performer in a match, it usually means the defense collapsed. LAFC were silent in attack and could not hold up in defense.
LAFC fan account LAFC X strongly criticized after the match, saying, "Without exaggeration, coach Santos must go. This match was an utter catastrophe." Reactions criticizing the coach's tactics and match management poured in on official channels as well.
In particular, the choice to strengthen the defense by bringing on Ryan Hollingshead at the start of the second half came under fire. Given the aggregate score at the time, LAFC was ahead, so the strategy of holding out itself was understandable. The problem was that they retreated too early. The calculation that they could withstand Toluca's onslaught for more than 45 minutes did not become reality.
Under coach Santos this season, Son Heung-min has focused more on playmaking than scoring. Seventeen matches and 15 assists is clearly an impressive record. But the fact that he still has no MLS goals is an unfamiliar sight for fans. Compared with last season when he formed a formidable attacking duo with Dénis Bouanga, the frustration inevitably grows.
LAFC stopped at the threshold of the final. And the problem bigger than the defeat was the listless content. Son Heung-min's silence, defensive collapse, and the coach's choices. Toluca's 4-0 rout away was not simply elimination but a match that exposed all the problems LAFC carries at once.
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