"SON is the best at counterattacking..." The enemy also sighed. "My judgment mistake was the cause of the defeat." Tactical defeat was acknowledged

*This content was translated by AI.

Cruz Asul, who faced Son Heung-min (34, LAFC), admitted his defeat cleanly.

LAFC won 3-0 in the first leg of the quarterfinals of the "2026 North American Caribbean Football Confederation (CONCACAF) Champions Cup" against Cruz Asul (Mexico) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California on the 8th (Korea time).

Son Heung-min, who played as a one-top forward, played about 90 minutes, close to his full season, scoring the first goal of the game and his first field goal of the season.

In the 30th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min, who was rushing a low cross from the right side by Mathieu Schniere, fell and kicked it to shake the net. Son ran to the stands and roared with his fists clenched. I held my right hand He also threw an unspoken message to "keep talking" about the controversy over the "aging curve" that recently arose against him while opening the movement.

Son scored his first field goal this season. Son Heung-min scored only the first official Real España (Honduras) and Champions Cup penalty points of the season. Son Heung-min, who had no goals in the Champions Cup and the league since then, scored his first field goal on the same day.

Son Heung-min has two goals and 11 assists in 11 official games this season. He has seven assists without goals in the league and two goals and four assists in the Champions Cup.

The opposing team coach also praised Son Heung-min and LAFC's performance at a press conference after the game. Manager Nicolas Lacamon Cruz-Asul admitted that his judgment mistake of pushing up the defensive line was the cause of the crushing defeat.

"For the first 20 to 25 minutes, we felt we were leading the game and flowing in a more favorable way than expected. Because of this, I broke away from the defensive and tight plan I originally planned and widened the line too much, he said. "In the end, I had to pay a high price for LAFC's sharp transformation of offense and defense."

"It did not pose a real threat to the advantage of the possession rate, but rather ruined the game in a defensive transition situation. "We lacked a preventive defensive structure to control the opponent's threatening offense," he added.

In particular, he repeatedly regretted giving the LAFC offense, led by Son Heung-min, a deadly background space. He said, "The play of all the opposing attackers penetrating into the center was crucial. "We regret that we opened the line and gave up the counterattack space that the opponent did best," he said. "LAFC was a very well-trained team in offense and defense."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.