▲ Son Heung-min
South Korean national team captain Son Heung-min (34), playing for LAFC in Major League Soccer (MLS), played the full match, but had to watch his team suffer a comprehensive defeat.
LAFC lost 1-3 to Minnesota United in their 2026 MLS regular season Round 33 home match held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, on November 2.
Extending their winless streak to three consecutive league matches (2 draws, 1 loss), LAFC remained in sixth place among the 15 teams in the Western Conference with 47 points (12 wins, 11 draws, 10 losses).
Minnesota sits 12th in the West with 41 points despite their victory, making the result even more disappointing for LAFC.
Although LAFC has already secured a playoff (PO) berth, the defeat leaves them four points behind fourth-place St. Louis City (51 points) with just one regular-season match remaining, meaning they will not receive a top seed to host the first round of the playoffs at home.
In MLS, after playing 34 matches per team, nine teams from each of the Eastern and Western Conferences advance to the playoffs to compete for the championship.
The top seven teams in each conference automatically advance to the Round 88 (Quarterfinals) PO first round, while teams finishing 8th and 9th contest a wild-card playoff to claim the final ticket to the quarterfinals.
Among them, teams ranked 1st through 4th host the first and third matches (if necessary) at home in the best-of-three PO first round.
In what was LAFC's final regular-season home match of the season, Son started as an attacking midfielder in a 4-2-3-1 formation, positioned just beneath centerpiece striker Denis Bouanga.
Leo Balta and Armindo Siebe occupied the left and right flanks.
LAFC suffered a sudden blow from Minnesota in the 29th minute of the first half.
Following a long throw-in from the left touchline all the way to the goalmouth, the defense headed the ball clear, but Joaquin Pereyra struck it with his left foot to open the scoring.
Son received a pass from Siebe in the 33rd minute of the first half and attempted a left-footed shot from inside the penalty arc, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper.
Having survived the scare, Minnesota doubled their lead just a minute later when Kelvin Yeboah headed down an aerial duel, and Sherry On Valerius finished it off with his right foot from the center of the box to make it 2-0.
Struggling to find any momentum in the second half as well, LAFC conceded a sealing goal to Pereyra in the 36th minute of the second half.
In the 45th minute of the second half, after some home fans had already left their seats earlier, Sergio Vasquez scored a consolation goal with a picturesque bicycle kick, but it had little impact on the outcome of the match.
Son played until the final whistle but failed to record an attacking point.
Son has recorded a combined 9 goals and 22 assists this season, consisting of 7 goals and 15 assists in MLS and 2 goals and 7 assists in the CONCACAF Champions Cup.
If he adds one more assist, he will break Carlos Vela's franchise record for the most assists in a single season.
(Photo: Getty Images)
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