"Son Heung-min must have had an emotionally difficult time..." Applause on his first goal after revealing World Cup pain

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Heung-min (34, LAFC) finally scored his first goal. It was his first goal of the season in his first match since the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It was also a precious strike that helped him shed some of the pain from the previous World Cup. His club's head coach said, "He must have had an emotionally difficult time, and we are glad he finally scored his first goal."

On the 18th (Korean time), Son Heung-min scored his first goal of the season in a 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) Round 32 away match against LA Galaxy at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California, USA, leading his team to a 3-0 victory. Afterward, he said, "As a member of the national football team, I experienced difficult results. That is why I wanted to return to my team as soon as possible. It is because I love football so much."

Previously, Son Heung-min, serving as captain of the South Korean national football team, participated in the CONCACAF World Cup but failed to record any attacking points in three group stage matches (starting in two). In particular, in the final match against South Africa, which determined qualification for the Round of 32, he was excluded from the starting lineup for the first time in his career. South Korea finished third in the group and failed to qualify for the Round of 32, which is awarded to the top eight third-placed teams across all groups. For Son Heung-min, whose determination was so strong that leaving Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League (EPL) after a decade-long partnership to join MLS in the United States was largely driven by the World Cup, this result remained particularly frustrating.

After taking a break domestically and recently returning to his club, he played his first match since rejoining the team. In the 12th minute of the second half, while his team was leading 2-0, he shook the opponent's net with a right-footed shot. This was his first goal on the MLS stage this season and also his debut goal in the "El Trafico" rivalry match against LA Galaxy.

Had Son Heung-min remained silent in today's match as well, the momentum might have continued to falter due to lingering regrets from the World Cup. However, fortunately, he succeeded in changing that flow by finally scoring the first goal he had been waiting for all season.

According to the MLS website immediately after the match, Son Heung-min said, "Derbies are always special for both fans and clubs. I know how important it is to win this game. I wanted to be part of that and was determined to win here." He added, "Today, our entire team showed excellent performance. We fully deserved the three points."

Marc dos Santos, LAFC's head coach, also welcomed Son Heung-min's goal on the MLS website, which helped him shed the regrets from the previous World Cup. Coach dos Santos stated, "I am happy to see Son Heung-min, who joined the team after a difficult tournament emotionally, achieve good results. Both I and Son Heung-min wanted a goal. I am truly glad that Son Heung-min scored." The MLS office also conveyed through its website, "Son Heung-min dispelled the gloomy atmosphere caused by South Korea's disappointing group stage exit from the World Cup."

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

*This content was translated by AI.