Son Heung-min is out of the attacking midfielder→Striker confirmed... "First field goal of the season." Jung Jo-joon

*This content was translated by AI.

Has the head coach finally realized how to use Son Heung-min (34, Los Angeles FC). Son Heung-min, who often played as an offensive midfielder under new coach Mark dos Santos, will take on the central striker for the first time in a long time.

Son Heung-min's team LAFC will start against Austin FC in the fifth round of the 2026 U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) at 9:45 a.m. on the 22nd (Korea Standard Time) at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas.

According to LAFC's official channel, Son Heung-min will play as the central striker in the 4-3-3 formation. Dnie Vuanga and David Martinez will play both wings, while Mark Delgado, Timothy Tillman and Mathieu Shuaniere will form the midfield. Eddie Segura, Nkosi Tapari, Ryan Porteous and Serhiy Palencia are responsible for the four-back, while goalkeeper gloves are worn by Hugo Lloris.

Under Dos Santos, Son Heung-min was mainly used as an offensive midfielder behind the striker. Unlike Steven Cheruntholo, who played as a striker in 13 games, scoring 12 goals and 3 assists, and nearly one goal per game, he seemed to focus on making plays that come down to the midfield and solve the offense rather than finishing directly after the new coach's appointment.

The aftermath of Son Heung-min's position change led to a decline in scoring ability. Son Heung-min has not scored a field goal in eight consecutive official games this season. One penalty goal scored in the first round of the first round against North Korea-China Caribbean Football Federation (CONCACAF) Real España (Honduras) is all about scoring.

As the slump continued, criticism poured in from local media as well. The soccer media "Goal Dotcom" put Son Heung-min, who had no goals until the fourth round of MLS, on the list of losers who did not meet expectations. "Son Heung-min was a player who scored nine goals in the last 10 MLS regular season, but he has no goals this season," the media said. "He has three assists, but his sharpness has become so dull that he has only two effective shots."

In the second round of the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 against Alahuelense (Costarica) on the 18th, coach dos Santos put 22-year-old promising striker Nathan Ordaz at the forefront and placed Son Heung-min at the second line. At that time, Son Heung-min attempted seven shots but failed to score all of them.

However, in the match against Austin, coach dos Santos finally made a change by forward-deployed Son Heung-min as a central striker. LAFC recently won four consecutive MLS games with excellent defense, but the offense's scoring silence continued.

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*This content was translated by AI.