'No answer' Son Heung-min overworked + worst slump → 'No tactics' coach "What should I do..." Absurd excuse 'Ussusu'

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Heung-min (34, LAFC)'s attacking power has noticeably weakened, yet Marc Dos Santos, LAFC coach, has not offered any clear tactical solution. In reality, the coach has only offered excuses blaming the grueling schedule and planned substitutions rather than presenting any real countermeasures.

On the 23rd (Korea time), LAFC drew 0-0 against Colorado in a home match at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, USA, in the 9th round of the 2026 U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS).

With a recent record of two draws and two losses in four matches, LAFC's position as third in the Western Conference is under threat, and the silence of its key attackers is particularly painful.

Especially on this day, Son Heung-min recorded no shots at all and was substituted out in the 31st minute of the second half. At a time when a goal was desperately needed, Son Heung-min shook his head and muttered after being called to the bench, showing his frustration.

According to an official LAFC video, Coach Dos Santos admitted that the chemistry between Son Heung-min and Bouanga is not as good as before. When local reporters asked about the reason for the declining chemistry between Son Heung-min and Bouanga, Coach Dos Santos gave only a generic response: "Every player goes through such periods. Son Heung-min and Dini (Bouanga) are also showing this trend recently. We are trying to find a formation where they can play closer to each other."

Coach Dos Santos continued, "Son Heung-min's assist numbers are still unbelievable, and he surely wants to score goals as well. It is our staff's task to figure out how to keep the two of them closer without breaking the defensive structure. This will be a very important part in the upcoming matches."

Coach Dos Santos even stated, "LAFC is quite good in transition situations, but in defensive situations, the players seem to be too far apart. We need to find an attacking style like we did at the beginning of the season. Right now, there is no time to rest, and the players are extremely fatigued."

However, the tactical response offered by the coach turned out to be counterproductive. To break the losing streak, Coach Dos Santos changed the formation to 4-3-3, placing Son Heung-min in the central midfield. Son Heung-min struggled so much that he failed to attempt even a single shot on this day. The coach explained, "We tried placing Son Heung-min in the central area closer to Bouanga at the start of the match so that Bouanga could play in a more comfortable position," but Son Heung-min became isolated in midfield and found it difficult to even touch the ball.

Regarding Son Heung-min's early substitution while the match was tied 0-0, Coach Dos Santos explained, "The decision to substitute Son Heung-min was already planned. In fact, we intended to take him off at the 70th minute, but he played until the 75th. The staff must carefully monitor the players' fatigue levels."

The problem is that the coach himself admits that finding a solution through training is impossible. Coach Dos Santos lamented, "As a coach, it is frustrating that I cannot conduct proper training. We can only show mistakes from the field via video. The most difficult part is balancing the fact that one group is always recovering while only a very small number of players can train."

Ultimately, Coach Dos Santos chose to prioritize the CONCACAF Champions Cup semi-finals over league operations. He emphasized, "Currently, LAFC is focusing on the Champions Cup semi-finals. However, we must also play against Minnesota. We need to mentally prepare strongly for the upcoming matches."

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*This content was translated by AI.