Son Heung-min (33) finally recorded his first home victory since joining LAFC. His Major League Soccer (MLS) tally became 6 goals and 2 assists in 7 appearances.
LAFC defeated Real Salt Lake 4-1 in a 2025 MLS Western Conference round 35 home match held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, at 10 a.m. on the 22nd (Korea time). It was the third consecutive match with four goals.
With this victory, LAFC continued its momentum by beating Salt Lake in the ‘return match’ just four days later. In the rescheduled match held on the 18th, they racked up a 4-1 win powered by Son Heung-min’s hat trick. And in this match they again produced four goals to run to their third straight win. Showing their firepower once more, LAFC recorded 50 points, closing in on third-place Minnesota (54 points), which has played two more matches.
LAFC started in a 3-4-3 formation. Denis Bouanga, Son Heung-min and David Martinez; Artem Smoljakov, Mark Delgado, Timothy Tillman and Sergi Palencia; Eddie Segura, Nkosi Tafiri and Rayan Porteau; Hugo Lloris started.
Real Salt Lake lined up in a 4-4-2 formation. Arias Piol and Rwan Cruz; Diego Luna, Brian Ojeada, Noel Caliskan and Javier Gojo; Alexandros Katranis, Brayan Vera, Justin Glad and DeAndre Yedlin; Rafael Cabral took the field first.
Son Heung-min and Bouanga led LAFC’s attack from the start. In the seventh minute of the first half Son Heung-min passed into open space, and Bouanga, making the run, fired a low shot. But the ball was stopped by the goalkeeper’s save. Salt Lake even resorted to fouls to stop Son Heung-min.
Salt Lake struck with a lightning opener. In the 14th minute of the first half, after a short corner kick routine, Vera aimed directly at goal. His left-footed rocket shot flew past Lloris’ hands and lodged in the top corner of the net.
LAFC mounted an offensive to equalize. In the 25th minute of the first half Bouanga controlled the ball with his back foot and laid it off, and Son Heung-min attempted a sharp shot from the left of the box. But the goalkeeper dived to parry it away.
The goalpost denied LAFC’s equalizer. In the 26th minute of the first half Son Heung-min curled a precise corner from the right. Tafiri connected with a powerful header, but the ball smashed against the crossbar.
Once again the finishers were Son Heung-min and Bouanga, the “dynamic duo.” In first-half stoppage time Bouanga touched the ball and made a run, and Son Heung-min delivered a one-touch pass. Bouanga connected with a non-stop shot and hit the back of the net. With that, he became the first player in MLS’s 30-year history to score 20 league goals in three consecutive seasons.
Son Heung-min also scored in his second straight match. Just before the end of the first half, when a momentary space opened up outside the box, he bent a left-footed shot into the net. It was a perfect trajectory that hit the post and went in. LAFC finished the first half leading 2-1.
Bouanga scored multiple goals. In the 27th minute of the second half Son Heung-min laid the ball back near the halfway line, and Andrew Murren threaded a forward pass behind the defense. Given a perfect opportunity, Bouanga saw the goalkeeper rushing out and executed an accurate chip to score again.
With the momentum in hand, LAFC substituted Son Heung-min in the 39th minute of the second half. Still, there was no problem securing the win. Rather, in the 42nd minute of the second half Bouanga took advantage of an opponent’s mistake and finished with a clincher to complete his hat trick. It was his 22nd league goal, putting him alongside Lionel Messi. The match ended as a big win for LAFC.
Thus Son Heung-min succeeded in winning in front of home fans for the first time since his move to LAFC. Before this match he had been flying with 5 goals and 1 assist in 6 MLS matches, but five of those were away games. In the only home match, against San Diego, he could not prevent the team’s 1-2 comeback loss.
On the 1st Son Heung-min started in round 29 against San Diego at BMO Stadium. He aimed for a win in his long-awaited home debut but was denied attacking points by bad luck with the post and the opposing goalkeeper’s saves. LAFC then also failed to hold on to Bouanga’s opener and lost.
At the time Son Heung-min said, “The fans welcomed me. I really waited for tonight but I disappointed the fans,” and added, “I wish I had been of even a little help. In matches like this, the players who need to play decisive roles must do so. I couldn’t do that tonight. I’m very sorry to the players. I want to adapt faster and finish decisively in situations like this.”
And Son Heung-min succeeded in keeping his resolve. In front of LAFC home fans he met again, roaring as he produced a crucial winning goal and finished with 1 goal and 1 assist. He and Bouanga fulfilled the ace role properly when the team faced a difficult moment.
[Photo] LAFC social media.
