Son Heung-min took nine shots alone and fell into 'silence' again... LAFC draws 1-1 with Portland, extending to four consecutive draws

*This content was translated by AI.

The silence of Son Heung-min (34) in Major League Soccer (MLS) in the United States is growing longer. This time, he attempted a remarkable nine shots on his own, aggressively targeting the opponent's goal but ultimately failed to convert any into results.

On the 23rd (Korean time), Son Heung-min started as the forward for LAFC's home match against Portland Timbers at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, USA, but failed to record an attacking point.

Previously, shortly after Mexico's Chivas Guadalajara eliminated MLS from the 2026 FIFA North, Central America and Caribbean World Cup qualifiers, Son Heung-min had scored four consecutive goals in four MLS matches, riding a steep upward trend. However, since the 2026 League Cup match against Chivas Guadalajara (Mexico) on the 6th, he has gone six official matches (five starts) without recording either a goal or an assist, causing his momentum to significantly decline.

Earlier, in the match against Colorado Rapids on the 20th, Son Heung-min was excluded from the starting lineup for the first time in 14 matches and entered as a substitute but failed to change the team's atmosphere. Although he returned to the starting lineup this day, he still could not deliver results even after securing his spot. Moreover, the team lost to Portland, falling into a three-game losing streak in the league, forcing Son Heung-min to bow his head in defeat.

He alone recorded nine shots. Since there were not few opportunities to threaten the opponent's goal, the disappointment over his silence today was even greater.

Son Heung-min started with a left-footed shot in a counterattack in the 18th minute of the first half that was saved by the goalkeeper. He then attempted direct free kicks, mid-range shots, and even shots from directly in front of the goal area, taking a total of seven shots in the first half alone. However, only one of the seven first-half shots was on target; the rest were blocked by defense or missed the goal. Notably, he attempted two direct free kicks from critical scoring opportunities near the penalty box, but neither managed to clear the defensive wall.

In the 8th minute of the second half, Son Heung-min swallowed his disappointment again as his eighth shot of the day was blocked by the defensive wall. Even after that, he remained in front of the goal, waiting for a single decisive shooting opportunity. However, crosses from the wings repeatedly went over Son Heung-min's head or were cut off mid-air due to inaccurate passes, failing to lead to any critical chances. Even the shot attempted near the end of the second half missed the goal. Ultimately, unable to turn the tide, Son Heung-min had to bow his head despite recording nine shots on his own.

Amid Son Heung-min's silence, LAFC could not defeat Portland and ended in a 1-1 draw. Allowing an early goal to David da Costa just four minutes into the first half, LAFC struggled to regain balance despite launching fierce attacks. The team managed to catch up with a goal by Denis Bouanga in the 34th minute of the second half, reminiscent of Son Heung-min's signature curling shot, but ultimately failed to overturn the result. On this day, LAFC recorded more than 30 shots and dominated the opponent but settled for a 1-1 draw, earning only one point. This marks four consecutive draws in the league (two draws and two losses).

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*This content was translated by AI.