'Again' Son Heung-min shifts from striker to midfielder in bold move... LAFC lineup revealed amid 'back-to-back defeat humiliation'

*This content was translated by AI.

LAFC, which has fallen into a slump with two consecutive losses, has once again deployed a radical formation. The team plans to utilize the tactic of positioning 'Son Heung-min (34)' as a midfielder, a setup that has previously yielded favorable match results.

Son Heung-min's club, LAFC, will face Colorado on the 23rd at 11:30 a.m. (Korean time) in the MLS Round 9 match held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, U.S.

According to the official MLS website, Son Heung-min will start not as a familiar striker but as a central midfielder. Instead, LAFC will deploy Jacob Shaffelburg, Denny Bwanga, and Tyler Boyd as a front three. Son Heung-min is positioned as a central midfielder in a 4-3-3 formation.

Alongside Son Heung-min in the midfield are Mark Delgado and Mathieu Choiniere. The back four consists of Eddie Segura, Aaron Long, Ryan Porteous, and Sergio Palencia, while Hugo Lloris guards the goal.

LAFC has recently stumbled after suffering two consecutive losses in the MLS. Although the team went unbeaten in its previous six matches with five wins and one draw, it failed to secure any points in the last two games.

Notably, in the Round 9 home match against San Jose Earthquakes on the 20th, LAFC suffered a crushing 1-4 defeat, dealing a blow to its pride. At that time, Son Heung-min started as a lone striker up front, played the full 90 minutes, and attempted five shots, fighting hard. However, he failed to convert due to the opposing goalkeeper's saves and poor chemistry with his teammates.

The match had drawn high expectations as it marked Son Heung-min's first MLS clash against Timo Werner, a former teammate from his Tottenham Hotspur days. However, the game unraveled in the second half as Werner scored an additional goal and the defensive line collapsed rapidly. Amidst misfortune including a Porteous own goal, LAFC had to watch from home as it suffered a three-goal defeat.

The poor performance of the entire attacking line was also painful. In the San Jose match, Bwanga and David Martinez, who formed a triangle with Son Heung-min, lacked sharpness, recording not a single shot on target. In response, Steve Cherundolo, the head coach, appears to have made a tactical gamble by moving the proven goal-scorer Son Heung-min to the midfield to improve build-up quality and maximize the activity of wide-area players.

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*This content was translated by AI.