"Son Heung-min will be replaced in 45 minutes." LAFC coach Son said, "Son agreed... "My goal is to win the competition"

*This content was translated by AI.

It was revealed why Son Heung-min (34), a key striker of Los Angeles FC, was replaced in just 45 minutes. It's a big picture of coach Mark dos Santos for ace management.

LAFC beat Real España (Honduras) 1-0 in the second round of the first round of the 2026 season of the North American Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Champions Cup at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California at 12 p.m. on the 25th (Korea time). As a result, LAFC won a total of 7-1 in the first and second games and met Alahuelense (Costa Rica) in the round of 16.

On this day, Son Heung-min started as a one-top striker in the 4-2-3-1 formation wearing the captain's armband and was replaced 45 minutes later. Son Heung-min, who had already devastated the opponent's defense by playing a one-man show in the first game, relaxed in the second game and then retreated to the bench to adjust his condition.

Even the game was tight throughout the first half. Real Spain, which collapsed in the first half of the first half alone, allowed four goals, lowered its line and operated the game mainly on counterattacks. LAFC led the game with a 6-4 share, but was blocked by a tight defense and shot only twice. Even Son did not attempt a single dribble or shot.

At the end of the first half with 0-0, coach dos Santos put in Nathan Ordaz, Timothy Tillman and Jude Terry, excluding all key players such as Son Heung-min, Dennis Buanga, and Stephen Eustachio.

According to LAFC, coach dos Santos said in an interview after the game, "Keeping the rhythm is the key reason" for the decision to let Son Heung-min and Buanga play only in the first half.

In addition, coach Dos Santos said, "Son Heung-min has not had a perfect pre-season. Therefore, it is important to keep finding the rhythm of the game, he said. "I told the two players that I will play only the first half of this game in advance." The players also understood and agreed to this," he explained.

With Son Heung-min and Buanga out, LAFC won in the 19th minute of the second half when Nkosi Tapari scored the winning goal with a left-footed shot in a set-piece situation. He allowed a penalty kick after a video review (VAR) at the end of the second half, but goalkeeper Harshal blocked it to keep the win 1-0.

LAFC continued its upward trend with three consecutive wins since the opening of this season.

Son Heung-min showed a phenomenal performance in the first match against Real Spain, scoring one goal and three assists with just one shot. Son Heung-min, who swept nine-point ratings in "Sofa Score" and "Foot Mob" at the time, also led Lionel Messi's Inter Miami to a 3-0 victory in the opening game of the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS).

Coach Dos Santos also revealed his ambition to win the Champions Cup, which will qualify him for the 2029 FIFA Club World Cup. "LAFC has reached the final twice, but they don't have a championship yet. "This is a big dream and ambition for us," he said. "I know how hard the process to get to the final is. LAFC will do its best with the idea of reaching the final in every game," he stressed.

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*This content was translated by AI.