LAFC coach mishandled Son Heung-min; if the World Cup fails, who will be held responsible? ... 'Another goalless slump' deepens with heavy sighs

*This content was translated by AI.

As the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America approaches, the scoring prowess of South Korea national team ace Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) is not firing.

LAFC lost 2-3 in an away match against Nashville SC in the 2026 U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) on the 18th (Korean time) at Geodis Park in Nashville, Tennessee. The team is in a serious slump. LAFC has fallen into a winless drought of four matches, including three consecutive losses (1 draw, 3 losses). Their standing has also dropped to seventh in the Western Conference (6 wins, 3 draws, 5 losses, 21 points).

Son Heung-min started as the central striker in the team's 3-4-3 formation. Until now, LAFC head coach Marc dos Santos had deployed Son Heung-min in a second-line role to support the front line. However, the results were disastrous, and Son Heung-min's impact diminished. In fact, Son Heung-min has not scored a single goal in the league this season. Ultimately, as criticism of dos Santos's tactics has grown, Son Heung-min was returned to his original position.

Son Heung-min formed a front three with David Martínez and Denis Bouanga. His performance was not poor. Son Heung-min delivered a sharp cross in the 23rd minute of the second half, when the team was trailing 1-3, assisting Bouanga's goal, recording his ninth assist of the season. Son Heung-min currently leads the league alone in assists. Players tied for second place, including Maxi Morales (New York City), who have six assists, are chasing Son Heung-min.

However, the problem remains the lack of goals. Son Heung-min took four shots (two on target) throughout the match, constantly testing the goal, but failed to convert any into goals. Having appeared in 12 league matches this season, Son Heung-min has yet to score his first goal of the campaign, though he has recorded nine assists. Early in the season, he struggled to maintain his performance while playing in a position that did not suit him. Even though he stepped out today as a central striker in his natural role, he could not break his severe goalless streak.

Earlier, Hong Myung-bo, head coach of the South Korea national team, also mentioned Son Heung-min's position issues with his club.

Son Heung-min recorded one assist, four shots, two successful dribbles, three successful crosses, and a 90% pass completion rate today. Football statistics platform FootMob awarded Son Heung-min a high rating of 8.3. This was the second-highest score in the team, behind Bouanga (8.6). However, the team's defeat left him with his head bowed.

With less than a month until the North American World Cup, South Korea, aiming for at least a round-of-32 finish, must rely on Son Heung-min, the team's centerpiece, to deliver strong performances. Son Heung-min's scoring ability was sharp during his time at his former club Tottenham (England) and even after his move to LAFC last season. However, since LAFC changed coaches, Son Heung-min's scoring power has plummeted.

Recently, amid LAFC's prolonged slump, calls for dos Santos's dismissal have emerged. The U.S. edition of Diario AS stated, "LAFC's slump and dos Santos's crisis," highlighting the seriousness of the problem.

Meanwhile, South Korea recorded six wins and four draws (22 points) in the Asian final qualifiers, securing first place in Group B. In next month's North American World Cup, South Korea has been drawn into Group A alongside host nation Mexico, South Africa, and the Czech Republic.

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*This content was translated by AI.