*This content was translated by AI.
Los Angeles FC accepted the poor result even though Son Heung-min (34, Los Angeles FC) and Dnie Vuangara had the best strikers in the league. Although he set a new record of no runs since the opening, the head coach can be blamed for failing to properly utilize the aces.
LAFC drew 0-0 in the away game of Austin FC in the fifth round of the 2026 U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) at Austin Q2 Stadium in Texas on the 22nd (Korea time). LAFC, which had won four consecutive games since the opening, had to be satisfied to add one more point after an empty space on the day.
With this scoreless score, he set a new MLS record of five consecutive games without losing a point, but the result was virtually a loss.
However, the head coach does not seem to mind the empty space problem that has been revealed since the beginning of the season. Coach Mark dos Santos said at a press conference after the game, "It's a really difficult record to score five consecutive games in MLS. Hugo Lloris' good defense and the defense's dedication shone."
The offense, which should be a troubleshooter, had a nuance to blame on the players' personal skills. "It wasn't our team-like game," coach dos Santos said. The touch was too long and the dribble was excessive, he said. "In the build-up process, I couldn't even settle down properly in the attack area. The moment I owned the ball, I made a lot of mistakes," he pointed out.
On the same day, coach dos Santos made a change in how to use Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min, who had been mainly used as an attacking midfielder, was forward-deployed as a central striker in a 4-3-3 formation. I wanted to focus my firepower by placing Buanga and David Martinez on both wings, who have worked well since last season.
However, Son Heung-min's return to the front line did not work. Despite his original return to the position, Son Heung-min had only 0 effective shots. Already, there has been a silence on field goals in nine consecutive official games with no goals in eight consecutive games.
If you look at the detailed indicators, the situation is worse. Son Heung-min tried to shoot three times on the day, but all of them were blocked by the opponent's defense, and he had only 24 ball touches throughout the game.
In fact, no significant opportunity has been delivered to Son Heung-min. Son Heung-min's expected scoring value (xG) remained at 0.21, and his key pass was only once.
The only threatening attack was one effective shot recorded by Buanga in extra time in the second half. Rather, LAFC faced several run crises, but was able to avoid defeat thanks to goalkeeper Lloris' good defense. In response, coach dos Santos said, "We should have replaced it a little earlier. It's my responsibility," he said, leaving only a theoretical answer.
It is questionable whether there is even such an offensive tactic. In the end, coach dos Santos made no mention of any specific measures to improve his offense.
Last season, Son scored 12 goals in 13 games under Steven Cherundolo. In fact, LAFC used Son Heung-min as an attack center and succeeded in rebounding at the end of the season to reach third place.
Since the appointment of new coach Dos Santos, LAFC has been on an unstable unbeaten streak. Amid the silence of the offense, the team won with a series of lucky mid-range shots at the end of the game. In the match against Austin, the strikers only had one effective shot, and central midfielder Mark Delgado's long-range shot hit the crossbar was the most threatening.
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*This content was translated by AI.
