'Ace without a goal' Son Heung-min created five chances and earned a 7.9 rating... surpassing the scorer Bouanga

*This content was translated by AI.

Son Heung-min of LAFC, the 'captain' of the South Korean national football team, displayed a strong presence despite not contributing to any offensive points.

On the 13th (Korea time), LAFC played against Querétaro (Mexico) at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, in the final third match of the League Phase of the 2026 Leagues Cup. The match ended in a 1-1 draw after regular time, and LAFC won 5-3 in the penalty shootout.

Earlier, LAFC defeated Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico) 5-4 in a penalty shootout in the first match and beat Toluca (Mexico) 1-0 in the second match. With another victory in the penalty shootout against Querétaro, LAFC recorded seven points and currently sits third in Group B.

The Leagues Cup is a tournament featuring 18 teams each from Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States and Liga MX in Mexico. Each team faces three opponents from the other league, and based on these results, the top four teams from MLS and Liga MX advance to the tournament stage.

Son Heung-min started as the forward in LAFC's 4-3-3 formation. Although he did not score or provide an assist, he consistently created shooting opportunities for his teammates throughout the match, leading LAFC's attack.

Statistics also revealed Son Heung-min's influence. He recorded two shots and one on-target shot, with a passing success rate of 92%. Notably, he created five scoring chances. He also successfully completed one dribble.

Denis Bouanga and Jacob Shaffelburg, who started alongside Son Heung-min in the front three, repeatedly threatened the opponent's goal by receiving passes from Son Heung-min.

Son Heung-min also fulfilled his role during the penalty shootout. As LAFC's second kicker, he calmly converted his shot. LAFC secured a 5-3 victory in the shootout thanks to consecutive successful conversions by its kickers.

Football statistics specialist SofaScore awarded Son Heung-min a rating of 7.9 points, the third-highest among LAFC players.

Notably, he received a higher score than Bouanga, who scored the equalizing goal that day and earned a 7.8 rating. Despite not recording any direct offensive points, his overall impact on the match was recognized.

Among LAFC players, center-back Ryan Porteous received the highest rating of 8.2 points, followed by midfielder Mark Delgado with 8.0 points. Son Heung-min came next with a 7.9 rating.

Including today's match, Son Heung-min has not scored in his last three games. However, his presence has not disappeared. He provided several decisive opportunities for his teammates and calmly fulfilled his role during the penalty shootout.

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*This content was translated by AI.