'Ah! Cruel Zero' Son Heung-min, Four Shots Fired but 'Five-Game Scoring Streak' Fails... LAFC Suffers 0-1 Narrow Defeat to San Diego

*This content was translated by AI.

LAFC forward Son Heung-min (34) took four shots, the most by either team, but failed to score. His streak of five consecutive league goals was halted, and his team also lost.

On the 16th at 11:30 a.m. (Korean time), LAFC played a home match against San Diego in Round 20 of the '2026 U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS)' at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA, and lost 0-1.

LAFC, which failed to add any points, sits third in the Western Conference with 34 points (10 wins, 5 draws, 6 losses). San Diego moved up to 12th place with 24 points (6 wins, 6 draws, 7 losses).

Starting as the lead striker in a 4-3-3 formation, Son Heung-min showed active movement from the start. In the fifth minute of the first half, Son Heung-min, who gained possession near the center line, broke through past two defenders and advanced to the left side of the penalty box. He then took a powerful left-footed shot, but it missed wide to the left of the goal.

With no goals scored until the middle of the first half, LAFC struggled to create significant attacking opportunities, with ball possession dropping as low as 23%. Son Heung-min also appeared isolated in the forward area.

In the 21st minute of the first half, Denis Bouanga hit the back of the net, but a handball foul was called after video review (VAR), canceling the opening goal.

The 'Hyeongbu Duo' collaboration goal was unfortunately thwarted. Bouanga broke through to the left side of the box and threaded a ground pass to Son Heung-min in the center. However, a San Diego defender cut off the ball just before Son Heung-min could touch it, leaving them with regret.

The first half ended 0-0 with Son Heung-min remaining scoreless.

Son Heung-min's second shot of the match came early in the second half. In the fourth minute, Son Heung-min took possession near the arc circle and quickly shot, but the ball was deflected by a defender and went out.

Five minutes later, Son Heung-min shot again, but the opening goal was narrowly missed. Receiving an advance pass from Eddie Segura, Son Heung-min broke into the box and took a low shot toward the corner of the goal. However, the ball just skimmed past the left side of the goalpost.

Son Heung-min's left-footed shot was activated again but did not result in a goal. In the 26th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min intercepted an opponent defender's pass, made a fierce run to the left side of the box, and took a shot. However, the ball went out due to an opponent's tackle.

Not only his shooting but also Son Heung-min's dribbling ability shone. Onni Baraka pulled down Son Heung-min, who was breaking through near the center line, too aggressively and eventually received a yellow card.

LAFC, unable to break through despite repeated attempts, ultimately conceded a decisive goal late in the second half. In the 44th minute of the second half, Ryan Porteous committed a handball foul inside the box, resulting in a penalty kick. Kicker Anders Dreyer scored with a perfect shot that deceived goalkeeper Yoris, sending the ball into the net.

The match concluded with a 0-1 defeat for LAFC.

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*This content was translated by AI.