Son Heung-min's goal was once again postponed. He moved more diligently than anyone and attempted the most shots, but the final strike never came. However, LAFC succeeded in turning the mood by producing a dramatic winning goal late in the match.
LAFC defeated the Seattle Sounders 1-0 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on the 25th (KST) in a 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) home game. The winning goal came in the 41st minute of the second half, when Timothy Tillman struck.
With this victory, LAFC recorded 24 points and continued its push near the top of the Western Conference. It also allowed the team to catch its breath amid a recent poor run of form.
Son Heung-min started again as the center forward. Paired with Denis Bouanga and David Martinez in the attack, he unsettled Seattle's defense from the early stages with active movement.
But the goal did not come easily.
Son Heung-min attempted five shots in the first half and totaled seven shots for the match. However, only two were on target. Most of the shots taken inside the box were blocked by Seattle's compact defensive wall, and several chances narrowly missed the goal, leaving frustration.
As a result, Son Heung-min remained scoreless in 12 consecutive MLS matches. However, he has already recorded eight assists in the league.
Football statistics outlet FootMob gave Son Heung-min a rating of 6.9 after the match.
Seattle sat deep throughout the match. In a 4-2-3-1 formation they dropped their defensive line and concentrated pressure on Son Heung-min and Bouanga. LAFC tried to create space by using the flanks and half-spaces but could not easily break down Seattle's compact defense.
Son Heung-min also struggled in a difficult flow. His dribble success rate was 50% (3 successes out of 6 attempts), but he lost the ball several times under opponent pressure.
The most regrettable moment came in the 22nd minute of the second half. Son Heung-min had a decisive header opportunity in front of goal but failed to connect cleanly and missed the chance. Had it been properly connected, it would have likely resulted in a goal.
LAFC also faced a crisis. In the 31st minute of the second half, during a Seattle counterattack the flank defense collapsed and they conceded a dangerous shot, but the ball hit the crossbar and bounced out, avoiding a goal.
After surviving the crisis, Son Heung-min returned to the center of the attack. In the 32nd minute of the second half, his right-footed shot from the center of the penalty box curled sharply toward the corner but was stopped by Seattle goalkeeper Andrew Thomas.
The tight balance was broken late in the match. In the 41st minute of the second half, Son Heung-min and Bouanga moved strongly near the penalty box, drawing the opposition defense at the same time and opening space in the gap. Tyler Boyd's cross was met in the box by Tillman, who threw his body and pushed it in to complete the winning goal.
Although it did not appear in Son Heung-min's personal statistics, the movement and space creation he produced in the winning-goal sequence were clearly decisive.
In the end, LAFC held on to a 1-0 victory. But it was another disappointment for Son Heung-min personally. He has not scored in an official match since the April 8 clash with Cruz Azul.
As the CONCACAF World Cup approaches, the goal drought of the national team captain Son Heung-min is also lengthening.
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