LAFC escaped a slump of four consecutive official losses by winning for the first time in five matches. However, Son Heung-min (34) failed to break his silence ahead of the 2026 CONCACAF World Cup.
LAFC defeated the Seattle Sounders 1-0 in the 15th round of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, USA, at 10:15 a.m. on the 25th (Korea time). LAFC, which added 3 points, rose to fifth with 7 wins, 3 draws and 5 losses (24 points), while Seattle, which has played two fewer games (24 points), fell to sixth.
LAFC, coached by Mark Dos Santos, started with a 4-3-3 formation. Dany Buanga-Son Heung-min-David Martinez, Timothy Tillman-Mathieu Choiniere-Marco Delgado, Eddie Segura-Aaron Long-Ryan Porteous-Ryan Hollingshead, Thomas Hasal started.
Seattle, coached by Brian Schmetzer, lined up in a 4-2-3-1 formation. Jordan Morris, Paul Rothrock-Albert Rusnak-Jesus Pereira, Hassani Dotson-Christian Roldan, Nouhou Tolo-Jackson Ragen-Kim Ki-hee-Kalani Rienea, Andrew Thomas made the starting lineup. With Kim Ki-hee starting for the first time in a while, a 'Korean derby' against Son Heung-min took place.
Seattle nearly took the lead just one minute after the match started. Kim Ki-hee sent a high cross into the box. The LAFC defense headed the ball away and it fell nearby, and Rusnak shot immediately. It was a threatening shot, but the ball went wide of the goalpost.
Son Heung-min aimed at the goal. In the third minute of the first half, he cut into the right side of the box on a counterattack and shot himself instead of passing to a teammate on the opposite side. But he was stopped by the defenders' physical block.
Son Heung-min, unlike usual, actively increased his number of shots. In the seventh minute of the first half, he boldly attempted a long-range shot from distance, but it deflected slightly off a defender and was caught by the goalkeeper.
There were also disappointing moments. In the 38th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min stretched out his foot to meet Porteous's early cross while making a run behind the defense. But the ball evaded the goal. In the 42nd minute Buanga's curled shot and in the 43rd minute Son Heung-min's powerful long-range shot also missed the goal. The first half ended 0-0.
The 0-0 deadlock was hard to break. In the 17th minute of the second half, Martinez sent a long early cross to the opposite side. Buanga, who rushed in, had a shooting opportunity in front of the goal but fluffed his feet. A foul was called, but it was a moment that left everyone holding their heads.
Kim Ki-hee was the first to leave the match. He was substituted off for Antonio Lopez in the 18th minute of the second half and went to the bench. LAFC swallowed their disappointment. In the 22nd minute of the second half, Son Heung-min's header was mistimed and slipped backward, and Hollingshead's header from the ensuing cross deflected off the defensive wall.
The goalpost denied Seattle's opening goal. In the 31st minute of the second half, Danny Musovski's shot after a cutback hit an LAFC defensive tackle, bounced up and struck the crossbar. A minute later Son Heung-min produced a decisive shot inside the box, but it was stopped by the goalkeeper's super save.
LAFC finally opened Seattle's goal late in the match. In the 41st minute of the second half, Tyler Boyd delivered a sharp cross from the right. Tillman, running in from the opposite side, pushed it in and scored the opening goal. LAFC held on for the remaining time and secured 3 points.
However, Son Heung-min again failed to find the net. In a season of changed tactics and overall team slump, he has not scored a single goal in 13 MLS matches this season. He leads MLS with nine assists, but goals have been hard to come by.
Mark Dos Santos, LAFC coach, also said at a pregame press conference, "The result of today's match is the most important to raise the players' condition right before the World Cup," noting, "Son Heung-min is a player who can influence the whole pitch. Having played a lot in World Cup matches, he will lead the Korean players well as captain. I hope the team plays without regrets and achieves a good result."
But Son Heung-min played the full 90 minutes even in the Seattle match, the last game before the World Cup break, and failed to break his silence. He attempted the most shots in the match (7) but unfortunately did not convert any into a goal. As a result, he extended his goalless streak to 1,045 minutes, but Son Heung-min smiled broadly at the team's long-awaited victory.
Son Heung-min's repeated scoring failures are an unwelcome trend for the South Korean national team, which once again expects him to be a solver. Now Son Heung-min will briefly leave LAFC to join Hong Myung-bo's squad, which has set up a precamp in Salt Lake City, Utah, USA.
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