LAFC continues to be on a downward slide. Son Heung-min (34)'s silence also shows little sign of ending.
Ole USA reported on the 15th (Korean time), "LAFC has been unable to find an escape. After being eliminated from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Champions Cup, they have fallen into a miserable losing streak."
That illustrates just how badly LAFC has been struggling. LAFC lost 1-2 to St. Louis City on the 14th at ENERZAi Park in St. Louis, Missouri, United States, in the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) round 13 away match. With this result, LAFC recorded three league matches without a win and three consecutive losses in all competitions.
Having lost to St. Louis, which is competing near the bottom of the league, LAFC had already fallen to fifth place. Their season record stands at 6 wins, 3 draws and 4 losses (21 points), moving them further away from title contention. They are level on points with sixth-place Minnesota, so it would not be surprising if their ranking falls further. Ole USA noted, "A team that showed solidity and competitiveness early in the season is gradually collapsing, losing its identity and efficiency."
That day LAFC started Son Heung-min, Denis Bouanga and Timothy Tillman as starters as they sought victory. St. Louis also used Jeong Sang-bin, creating a "Korean derby."
St. Louis smiled from the start. A shaky LAFC defense conceded an early goal to Thomas Tothaland just four minutes into the game, leaving LAFC on the back foot. And in the 19th minute of the second half they were struck again by Rafael Santos, collapsing further. David Martinez scored a consolation goal in the 28th minute of the second half, but it was not enough to prevent defeat.
Son Heung-min also failed to break his silence. As the frustrating flow continued, he dropped into midfield to help the team's build-up, and he recorded the most chances created in the match (4), 2 successful dribbles, 2 successful crosses and 1 successful long pass.
But there were no goals. Amid a lack of support from teammates, Son Heung-min again failed to register his first MLS goal of the season. He has not been able to break his scoreless run through 11 league matches since the season opener. He leads MLS with eight assists, but, uncharacteristically for Son Heung-min, goals have not come.
Of course, this should be seen more as a problem with the LAFC team itself than with Son Heung-min. LAFC suffered a heavy 0-4 defeat to Toluca (Mexico) in the second leg of the CONCACAF Champions Cup semifinal on the 7th, derailing their bid for the title, and they were beaten 1-4 by Houston Dynamo on the 11th. They then failed to beat a lower-ranked team in the St. Louis away match as well.
Ole USA pointed out, "This defeat confirmed a fact that can no longer be hidden. LAFC is in crisis. The slump that began with the CONCACAF Champions Cup elimination has led to a concerning losing streak, and these results seriously threaten the team's future. In particular, they have recorded only one win in their last seven MLS matches, and most of the performances have been below expectations."
The outlet added, "There is no more room for excuses. The congested schedule that coach Mark Dos Santos cited as the reason was persuasive at first. But now it is losing credibility," and it added, "LAFC is one of the most expensive teams in the league and was built for the highest level of competition. But they have not been able to consistently maintain current performance and results."
Amid an all-around crisis, Son Heung-min could not avoid blame. Ole USA emphasized, "Even the star players are not performing their roles. Son Heung-min has been poor in attack, and Hugo Lloris has not shown the expected confidence in goal. LAFC is not simply losing; it is unstable in both offense and defense. For a team aiming for the title, this is unacceptable."
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