Son Heung-min (LAFC) raised his fitness ahead of the World Cup. The problem is the team. LAFC won, but could not avoid criticism that they are not using Son Heung-min properly.
LAFC beat the Seattle Sounders 1-0 on the 25th (Korean time) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles in the United States in the 2026 MLS 15th round. Timothy Tillman's late second-half winner came. LAFC temporarily moved into 24 points and rose to fifth place in the Western Conference. Seattle, having played two fewer matches, sat sixth with the same points.
The match was important for both LAFC and Son Heung-min. It was the last official match before the 2026 North and Central America World Cup. LAFC needed to end a four-match official losing streak and enter the break, and Son Heung-min needed to break his long scoring drought before joining the Hong Myung-bo-led squad. Before the match he said, "Football is ultimately judged by results. We are still in the process and everyone is working hard," showing his determination to rebound.
Son Heung-min's movement was clearly different. After the season opener he had not scored in 12 MLS matches, but he attempted shots more aggressively against Seattle. He had five shots in the first half alone and targeted the Seattle goal seven times over 90 minutes. In the 32nd minute of the second half he took a slightly early shot inside the box, but it was stopped by the opposing goalkeeper.
There was no goal. Still, the match content was not bad for Son Heung-min ahead of the World Cup. MLS specialty podcast "MLS Moves" also rated Son Heung-min's individual performance highly. The outlet said, "Son Heung-min showed flashes of brilliance in attack. It was really explosive. In this match it felt like his speed returned. He was much more threatening."
They also examined Son Heung-min's role this season. The outlet said, "He doesn't care what anyone says. Son Heung-min has recorded 16 assists this season. He has been an incredible provider of the ball." Although goals have not yet come, it meant Son Heung-min still played a large role in LAFC's attack.
But the praise ended there. The overall evaluation of LAFC was cold. MLS Moves pointed out, "There is still no support at all. It shows how many problems this team has." It went on, "This was a really boring match. It was not a match like Inter Miami's where 10 goals were scored but a complete dud."
Tillman, who scored the winner, was no exception. The outlet mentioned Tillman's goal but criticized, "He has not been good all season. This is his first goal in 15 MLS matches this season." It rather rated the Seattle goalkeeper's saves more highly. The nuance was that the scenes and shots created by Son Heung-min could have led to more goals.
LAFC's first half of the season has fallen short of expectations. They were picked as title contenders before the season opener, but both their ranking and performance are unsatisfactory. Considering the number of matches played, the fifth-place number is not stable. In particular, coach Mark Dos Santos's tactics that fail to take full advantage of Son Heung-min's strengths have come under fire.
MLS Moves said, "They are wasting golden opportunities even though they have the league's best player in Son Heung-min. They must make the most of the best opportunities. It's shameful." Son Heung-min showed signs of coming alive ahead of the World Cup. Now the remaining question is how LAFC will utilize him.
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