'Son Heung-min is there' — Is the attack line dissatisfied? Coach's absurd remark: "LAFC has no target striker"

*This content was translated by AI.

Despite struggling against Seattle Sounders' dense defense, LAFC head coach Marc Dos Santos expressed satisfaction with the match result. He also made somewhat disappointing remarks about the star-studded attack line consisting of Son Heung-min (34) and Denis Bouanga (32).

On the 25th (Korean time), LAFC secured a 1-0 victory in a home match against Seattle at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, U.S., thanks to a late second-half goal by Timothy Tillman. With this win, LAFC added three points to their tally, bringing them to 24 points in 15 matches, just one point behind fourth-place Dallas (25 points).

Starting the match and playing the full 90 minutes, Son Heung-min fought hard, taking five shots in the first half alone and attempting a total of seven shots throughout the game.

Goal luck simply did not favor him. Son Heung-min failed to convert a decisive header chance in the 22nd minute of the second half, and a sharp right-footed shot from the edge of the box in the 32nd minute was saved by the opposing goalkeeper's fingertips. As a result, Son Heung-min has not scored since his last goal against Cruz Azul (Mexico) on April 8, extending his MLS goalless streak to 12 consecutive matches (with eight assists).

Amid LAFC's somewhat frustrating performance, the entire attack line, including Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga, struggled against the opponent's deep-lying defense, leading to an increasingly prolonged silence.

Nevertheless, Coach Dos Santos expressed satisfaction with the overall team performance after the match. Coach Dos Santos stated, "Seattle is a team that makes it very difficult for opponents to enter their box," and added, "LAFC was the better team in the first half and played well."

However, he made remarks that seemed to shift some responsibility to the players regarding precision inside the box. Coach Dos Santos noted, "All LAFC players are quick-footed, so the reality is that we lack a typical 'box target man,'" and emphasized, "We need to improve so that more players can enter the box simultaneously when the ball moves to the wings."

Regarding Tillman's winning goal, he said, "Tyler Boyd's cross was truly excellent. The players ran into the box, and that's when you get rewarded," asserting, "LAFC fully deserved to win."

With this match, MLS enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup North America break. Coach Dos Santos offered special encouragement to the players who will represent their countries in the upcoming World Cup.

Coach Dos Santos said, "I hope our players participating in this World Cup achieve all their dreams," and added, "I support our players going to the World Cup so much that I would wear the national jerseys of all their countries."

Regarding player protection after the World Cup, he stated, "We will guarantee a separate rest schedule for players returning from the World Cup and will flexibly manage the schedule until the upcoming Galaxy match."

Furthermore, Coach Dos Santos remarked, "The style of play LAFC pursues is satisfactory. Especially upon reviewing the first half, I am confident that if we continue this way, we will deliver a very consistent performance," and added, "During the break, we will thoroughly analyze where we struggle and what the team needs to grow."

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*This content was translated by AI.