▲ MLS announces Son Heung-min being selected as MVP.
LAFC's Son Heung-min, who captained the Major League Soccer (MLS) All-Star team featuring the league's top stars, stood tall as the "star among stars" by scoring multiple goals despite playing for only 35 minutes.
Playing as the starting central forward with the captain's armband in the match against the LIGA MX (Mexican professional football) All-Stars held at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, North Carolina, Son netted two goals in the first half alone to lead his team to a 4-3 victory.
Son was also named the Most Valuable Player (MVP) of the match.
Son is the second South Korean player to feature in an MLS All-Star game, following former national team head coach Hong Myung-bo, who was with LA Galaxy in 2003.
Son is the first South Korean ever to start in an MLS All-Star game, let alone wear the captain's armband and win the MVP award.
Extending his scoring streak to four consecutive games—including three straight matches with his club team—Son showcased his peak goal-scoring form.
The opening goal went to the LIGA MX All-Stars.
Son's side fell behind in the 9th minute of the first half after conceding a goal to Luis Gabriel Rey of Guadalajara.
However, combining with Carles Gil, Son scored back-to-back goals in just three minutes to turn the game around instantly.
In the 20th minute of the first half, receiving a pass from Gil, Son comfortably penetrated the left flank and unleashed an accurate, uncontested shot from inside the penalty area into the bottom right corner of the net to equalize.
Three minutes later, he was responsible for the comeback goal with a fantastic half-volley.
He met a cutback cross delivered by Gil near the right goal line and lightly pushed it in with his right foot while rushing toward the goalmouth to hit the back of the net.
Having perfectly fulfilled his role, Son left the pitch in the 35th minute of the first half, substituted simultaneously with five other players.
Heading toward the bench, he beamed and said in an interview with the local broadcasting network, "It was a lot of fun. I didn't do much; my teammates set everything up for me on a silver platter."
Sharing his thoughts on experiencing his first MLS All-Star game, he said, "It was pure joy. Even though we didn't know each other well, everyone was such a great person. Spending three days together was wonderful, and I had a truly great experience."
The momentum of the MLS All-Stars continued even after Son was substituted off.
In the 42nd minute of the first half, Philip Zinckernagel added a goal in front of the goalmouth, ending the first half with a 3-1 lead.
In the second half, after LIGA MX's Salomón Rondón scored a goal to close the gap in the 10th minute, Evander Ferreira scored a crucial insurance goal four minutes later, leading to a fierce battle.
The much-anticipated dual appearance of Son Heung-min and German football legend Thomas Müller did not happen.
Müller, who waited on the bench, stepped onto the pitch only in the 18th minute of the second half, missing Son, and failed to record any attacking points.
Instead, LIGA MX launched a fierce counter-attack until the very end of the match.
In the 1st minute of stoppage time in the second half, José Paradela scored the team's third goal to narrow the score to 4-3, but they could not turn the game around.
(Photo: MLS SNS, Yonhap News)
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