*This content was translated by AI.
Son Heung-min (34) fought hard to record his 9th assist of the league but swallowed his disappointment as his team suffered a defeat.
LAFC lost 2-3 in an away match against Nashville at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee, USA, on the morning of the 18th (Korean time) for the '2026 Major League Soccer (MLS)'.
LAFC, now on a three-game losing streak, sits in 7th place among the 15th teams in the Western Conference with 21 points. Nashville has moved up to first place in the Eastern Conference with 30 points.
Starting as the forward in a 4-3-3 formation, Son Heung-min moved actively in the attacking zone, looking for opportunities.
From the early stages of the match, Son Heung-min's signature storm dribble unfolded. In the 5th minute of the first half, he dribbled past defenders from near the halfway line to the goal area and took a shot, but it was saved by the goalkeeper who narrowed the angle.
Son Heung-min took his second shot of the match in the 12th minute of the first half. He struck a powerful long-range shot from outside the penalty box, but it was blocked by the defense.
Despite controlling the early flow, LAFC conceded the opening goal to Nashville. In the 13th minute of the first half, Hany Mukhtar received a pass from a teammate and Lee Dae-il, then scored with a perfect shot. Shortly after, in the 21st minute of the first half, LAFC conceded an additional goal to Mukhtar via a free kick.
LAFC counterattacked. Just one minute after conceding, Denis Bouanga shook off the defense and delivered a low cross, which David Martinez finished with his left foot.
Son Heung-min recorded his third shot of the match late in the first half. In the 43rd minute of the first half, Bouanga penetrated to the left side of the box and delivered a pass, which Son Heung-min connected with a right-footed shot, but it was blocked by the defense.
LAFC conceded another free-kick goal to Mukhtar early in the second half. Mukhtar curled a free kick from behind the arc, which traced a perfect trajectory and struck the top right corner of the goal. With this, Mukhtar recorded a hat-trick.
Son Heung-min's 9th assist of the league finally came through. In the 23rd minute of the second half, Son Heung-min delivered a corner kick from the left corner, which Bouanga connected with, and the ball deflected off a Nashville defender and into the goal. Son Heung-min has yet to score a goal this season but has recorded 9 assists in the league. Adding 2 goals and 7 assists from the CONCACAF Champions Cup, he has 2 goals and 16 assists in official matches. With this, Son Heung-min is leading the league in assists.
Son Heung-min continued to take shots. In the 27th minute of the second half, he unleashed his signature curling shot from the right side outside the box, but it was saved by the goalkeeper who threw his body to block it.
The match remained tight thereafter, but no further goals were scored, and the game ended with a 2-3 defeat for LAFC.
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*This content was translated by AI.
