"For the first time ever," Son Heung-min vs Messi MLS face-off officially confirmed, starting lineup revealed... LAFC-Miami Battle

*This content was translated by AI.

Los Angeles FC ace Son Heung-min (34) and soccer god Lionel Messi (39, Inter Miami) have officially faced off in the opening match of the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS).

Son Heung-min's team LAFC will play Messi's Miami for the first time of the season at the LA Memorial Coliseum in LA, California at 11:30 a.m. on the 22nd (Korea time).

Son Heung-min will start as the center striker in the 4-3-3 formation. Buanga and David Martinez are on both wings to work with Son Heung-min. Marco Delgado, Timothy Tillman and Stephen Eustachio will be in charge of the midfield, while Sergi Palencia, Nkosi Tapari, Ryan Porteous and Eddie Segura will build a four-back line. The goal is defended by Hugo Lloris.

Miami launched a 4-2-3-1 formation. Messi will play as an offensive midfielder. Luis Suarez starts the game on the bench.

Hermann Wertherame will take charge of the one-top attack, with Terrasco Segovia and Matteo Silvetti on both wings. Rodrigo de Paul and Yannick Bright will be in the third term, while Noah Allen, Michael, Maximiliano Falcon and Ian Frey will be in the four backs. Dane St Clare wears goalkeeper gloves.

This match will be Son Heung-min and Messi's first showdown on the U.S. stage.

Son Heung-min and Messi will start side by side in this game. In the past, Son Heung-min and Messi had two real matches on the best stage in Europe. The confrontation between the two players took place in Group B of the UEFA Champions League group stage in the 2018-2019 season. At that time, Son Heung-min led Tottenham Hotspur's attack, and Messi played the ground as the core of FC Barcelona.

In the first showdown, when the two players started side by side, they showed a fire show side by side. Son Heung-min worked hard with one assist, and Messi scored multiple goals to lead the team's attack. In the return match at home to Barcelona, Son Heung-min started and Messi was substituted and clashed once again, but both players finished the game without adding an attack point.

According to the MLS secretariat, Son Heung-min and Lionel Messi will face off in a historic stadium with a 102-year history. More than 60,000 cloud spectators have already been predicted to fill the site.

It is a reversal. Initially, there were observations that it was unclear whether they would face off in the aftermath of Messi's injury, but the atmosphere changed rapidly just before the game. The official MLS channel said, "Messi, who recently rested due to a lower body muscle injury, returned to team training normally on the 18th. We are all ready to launch a sortie," he said.

Messi, who has newly written European soccer history, is still showing off his class on the U.S. stage. Already won the MLS League Championship and the Supporters' Shield. He has swept two MVPs and a golden boot, dominating as the best player in the league.

Son Heung-min's firepower against this is also formidable. Son Heung-min recently showed off his peak form by performing a one-man show in the first round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup against Real Spain in San Pedro Sula, Honduras.

Son Heung-min, who started as a front-line striker in a 4-3-3 formation at the time, recorded his first help with a through pass following a solo breakthrough that broke down the defense with explosive speed in the 11th minute of the first half. In the 22nd minute, he calmly scored a penalty and opened the scoring himself, and in the 24th and 39th minutes, he delivered exactly the points of Denis Buanga and Timothy Tillman, respectively, to complete a hat-trick to help even before the first half was over.

The record was perfect, too. Football statistics media "Foot Mob" gave Son Heung-min, who built four offensive points in just 39 minutes, a 9.6 rating. This is the highest evaluation in the team, comparable to the hat trick protagonist, Buanga (9.7 points). "Sofa Score" also gave 9.2 points, highly appreciating Son Heung-min's performance.

Son Heung-min, who entered the U.S. last season, showed remarkable productivity with 12 goals and four assists in 13 games immediately after joining the team. In particular, he made a soft landing on the U.S. stage, ranking second overall in the league after Messi, who recorded one every 68.9 minutes in offensive point productivity per minute.

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*This content was translated by AI.