"Aging curve?"" Son Heung-min, who was uncomfortable with the question, answered with 4 assists... "Soccer Master SON" opened its sights even when the main line of "Like a Messy" was reduced

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) quelled the controversy over the "aging curve" in just a few days.

Son Heung-min was active in the first half of the 2026 U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) 6th round home game against Orlando at BMO Stadium in LA, California on the 5th (Korea time).

LAFC defeated Orlando 6-0 thanks to Son Heung-min's performance. He led the Western Conference with 16 points (5 wins and 1 draw) along with six unbeaten league games.

Son Heung-min, who played as a front-line striker in the 4-3-3 formation, helped Dnie Buanga's hat-trick in the 20, 23 and 28 minutes of the first half, and also helped Sergi Palencia's additional goal in the 39th minute. It is Son's first four assists in a game in his career.

In addition, Son Heung-min set a record of four assists in the first half for the first time in MLS history. Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), the "God of Football," holds the record for the most help in a single MLS game, and he made five assists against the New York Red Bulls in 2024. However, Messi played full season at the time, and Son Heung-min was replaced in the 12th minute of the second half. If Son Heung-min played full season, it is highly likely that he would have raised more help or attack points.

As such, Son Heung-min's recent controversy over his decline in skills was dismissed with his skills. "I don't think it's respected to be asked this question," Son Heung-min said when asked about the aging curve right after the A-match match against Austria in March, just four days before posting four assists. If I feel like I'm not good enough, I'll put it down on my own," he said, expressing discomfort. Since then, he has dispelled concerns toward him by scoring four offensive points, not scoring, in his first game back.

This game showed Son Heung-min's evolution of his playing style. Son Heung-min, a former top scorer in the English Premier League (EPL), used space penetration and two-footed shooting using speed as his main weapons in the past. However, as he enters his mid-30s, he also plays a role of a "coordinator" who deploys attacks using his wide field of view and sophisticated passes rather than relying solely on his main focus.

Typically, a flanker undergoes an aging curve the earliest due to his physical strength and deterioration of his main strength. Like Ryan Giggs, who moved from the side to the center midfielder in the second half of his career, and Messi, who changed his role to a second-line playmaker, Son Heung-min is also evolving in his playing style as his body changes.

"Foot Mob," which specializes in soccer statistics, gave Son Heung-min, who led the attack without scoring, the highest score of the game, 9.8 points. With seven assists in six games this season, he is currently the sole leader in MLS help.

Son Heung-min's ability, which is equipped with a scorer and a helper role, is expected to be a new option not only for LAFC but also for the Korean national soccer team's offensive tactics.

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*This content was translated by AI.