▲ Son Heung-min
South Korean national team captain Son Heung-min played the full match for LA FC as the team settled for a draw in the LA Derby, securing a playoff berth.
LA FC tied 2-2 with local rivals LA Galaxy with goals from Denis Bouanga and David Martínez in the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) Round 32 home match held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California.
Son played the full match but did not record an attacking point.
Son currently has 9 goals and 22 assists this season, combining 7 goals and 15 assists in the MLS with 2 goals and 7 assists in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
For Son, a goal that was disallowed in the 28th minute of the first half was a disappointment.
An opposing defender attempted to clear the ball with a header, but it dropped to the right side of the penalty area. Bouanga connected with a right-footed shot that was blocked by the goalkeeper, and Son followed up by poking it in with his right foot.
However, the assistant referee had previously signaled an offside against LA FC, and the referee upheld the original call after an on-field review, ruling out Son's goal.
Adding 1 point from the draw, LA FC reached 47 points (12 wins, 11 draws, 9 losses), maintaining 6th place among the 15 teams in the Western Conference and booking their spot in the playoffs.
In the MLS, each team plays 34 matches, after which the top 9 teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences advance to the playoffs to continue competing for the championship.
The top 7 teams in each conference advance directly to the Round 1 of the playoffs, while the 8th and 9th place teams play a wildcard match to determine the final ticket to the quarterfinals. LA FC is guaranteed to finish at least 9th even if they lose their remaining 2 matches.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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