Son Heung-min, who remained scoreless for five consecutive games, failed to prevent LAFC's shocking defeat... a 0-1 loss without scoring against mid-table Colorado.

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

LAFC, without Son Heung-min and Denis Bouanga, was lifeless. Suffering a shocking defeat against a mid-table team, they fell into a deep slump.

LAFC lost 0-1 to Colorado Rapids in an away match of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) regular season held at Dick's Sporting Goods Park in Colorado on the morning of the 20th, 10:30 a.m. Korean time.

With this defeat, LAFC fell into a slump of two games without a win (one draw and one loss), remaining in third place with 10 wins, four draws, and seven losses (34 points). Meanwhile, Colorado surged to two consecutive victories, recording nine wins, one draw, and 19 losses (28 points) to climb to eighth place.

Son Heung-min, who has been on a grueling schedule recently, was listed as a substitute and entered the field in the 19th minute of the second half when his team was trailing 0-1, playing for about 26 minutes, but he could not prevent his team's defeat.

This means Son Heung-min scored four consecutive official goals after the 2026 FIFA World Cup schedule in North America, Central America, and the Caribbean, but has remained scoreless in his last five matches.

The visiting team LAFC deployed Jeremy Ebobisse leading the front line alongside Jacob Shaffelburg and Tyler Boyd. The midfield was composed of Mathieu Choiniere, Eddie Segura, and Timothy Tillman. The back four consisted of Yevhen Cheberko, Nkosi Tafari, Ryan Porteous, and Ryan Hollingshead. Goalkeeper Kabral Carter guarded the net.

Colorado assembled its attack with Rafael Navarro leading the way, supported by Darren Yafi, Paxten Aaronson, and Yusuf Yazici. Hamzat Ojediran and Wayne Frederick were deployed in midfield, while Miguel Navarro, Royce Williams, Rob Holding, and Reggie Cannon handled defensive duties. Goalkeeper gloves were worn by Nicholas Hansen.

The match proceeded entirely under the one-sided flow of the home team, Colorado. With Son Heung-min and Buran absent from the starting lineup, LAFC struggled to mount attacks throughout the first half and also showed instability in defense.

In the early stages of the first half, as a tense probing battle unfolded, Colorado scored the opening goal. In the 22nd minute of the first half, during a Colorado attack, the ball struck LAFC forward Evbiise and resulted in an own goal. After video review (VAR), Evbiise's own goal was confirmed, putting them behind 0-1.

LAFC, struck back in the 25th minute of the first half with a right-footed shot by Boyd, but it was saved by the opposing goalkeeper. In the 36th minute of the first half, Cheverco's left-footed shot also missed the goal.

Colorado, riding high on momentum, seized an additional scoring opportunity late in the first half. In the 41st minute of the first half, Tapia committed a foul inside the penalty box, awarding Colorado a penalty kick. However, LAFC managed to avoid conceding another goal as goalkeeper Carter tipped away Navarro's right-footed shot with his fingertips.

LAFC substituted Aaron Long for Tafari at the start of the second half to solidify its defense. In the 12th minute of the second half, during a corner kick situation, Chapellier, Ebobisse, and Segura took consecutive shots, but all were blocked by a defensive wall.

As the flow remained frustrating, LAFC made a decisive move in the 19th minute of the second half by substituting out Tilmann and Chapelle simultaneously to bring on Son Heung-min and Bouanga.

However, even with the deployment of Son Heung-min and a substitute from the bench, the flow of the match did not easily shift. As Colorado continued its attack, Mino's shot in the 26th minute of the second half missed the goal.

LAFC had a chance in the 34th minute of the second half when Son Heung-min attempted to penetrate, but he was called offside. A shot by Chouaniere, who received a pass from Bouanga in the same minute, also hit the defensive wall.

Colorado increased its defensive numbers in an attempt to secure a scoreless victory. LAFC launched a full-scale offensive by bringing on Tommy Michaelik in the 37th minute of the second half, but ultimately failed to breach Colorado's goal. The match ended in a lifeless 0-1 defeat.

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original