"World Cup fell short of expectations; we will share in Son Heung-min's pain..." LAFC general manager speaks directly, also reveals schedule for return match

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Heung-min (LAFC), captain of the South Korean national football team that suffered early elimination from the group stage at the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup, will aim to turn things around with his return match for his club.

The U.S. media outlet "Los Angeles Daily News" reported on the 5th (Korea time) that "Son Heung-min, whose schedule ended early due to South Korea's group stage exit, is expected to play against LA Galaxy in a Major League Soccer (MLS) match on the 18th."

According to local reports, Son Heung-min is expected to appear in the LA Derby, known as "El Trafico," one of the most intense rivalries in MLS.

"Los Angeles Daily News" highlighted both Son Heung-min's World Cup performance and South Korea's disappointing results. The outlet noted, "With South Korea's national team packing up early after the group stage, Son Heung-min and other Korean players left behind a result that fell far short of high expectations." In fact, in this tournament, the South Korean national team accepted a meager record of one win and two losses, suffering the humiliation of finishing 34th in the first-ever 48-team World Cup.

The media outlet also offered somewhat sharp assessments regarding Son Heung-min's individual performance. It analyzed, "Like at his club LAFC, Son Heung-min was assigned the role of South Korea's leading striker in this World Cup, but on the field, he failed to show any threatening presence."

It further stated, "He is among the few world-class football stars who left the 2026 World Cup stage without truly shining, bitterly departing," referencing both the baffling tactical neglect that saw him sit on the bench during the first half of the final group match against South Africa and the pain of early elimination.

After the tournament concluded, Son Heung-min did not immediately join his club's second pre-season training camp but instead took time to rest. Son Heung-min is expected to fully resume his club schedule starting with this rivalry match.

John Tortington, LAFC general manager, stated in an interview that "Even while Son Heung-min was away with the national team, we always felt connected to him." He added, "The World Cup journey for our country did not go as planned, and we at the club share in the pain Son Heung-min must have felt for falling short of pre-tournament expectations. We will give him our full support."

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.