'9 Shots → 6 Games, 0 Goals' Son Heung-min Makes Honest Confession: "Hard to Blame Him... How Does One Break Through Three Defenders?"

*This content was translated by AI.

Even after unleashing nine shots alone, the 'ace' Son Heung-min (34) remained silent, prompting LAFC's head coach and top partner to deliver a cool-headed assessment.

Son Heung-min's club, LAFC, drew 1-1 with Portland Timbers in their 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) Round 22 home match held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, USA, on the 23rd (Korean time). Conceding an unexpected first goal within the first four minutes of the first half, LAFC unleashed a club-record 34 shots but could only equalize through Denis Bouanga's goal in the 34th minute of the second half, falling into a slump with four consecutive draws or losses (two draws, two defeats) in recent regular-season matches.

Starting as the central forward on this day, Son Heung-min fought hard with nine shots—the most by either team—but ultimately failed to shake the net. Following four consecutive goals in the regular season immediately after the North American World Cup qualifiers, Son Heung-min extended his goalless streak in official matches to six games (five starts), including the League Cup.

According to LAFC, Bouanga, recognized as Son Heung-min's top attacking partner, revealed in a post-match press conference that opposing teams have completely changed their defensive approach against both him and Son Heung-min. Bouanga stated, "Opposing teams have entirely altered their defensive strategy not just toward me but also toward Son Heung-min." He added, "In every match, one defender sticks tightly to mark him closely, and once the ball is secured, two or three players immediately surround him. It has become extremely difficult to face one-on-one situations on the pitch."

He continued, "Breaking through alone against three defenders is not easy. We must keep moving into open spaces by exchanging passes and adapt both my playing style and our team's overall attacking approach."

Marc Dos Santos, LAFC head coach, also admitted to struggling deeply to prevent Son Heung-min from being isolated amid the opponent's extreme compact defense. Explaining the tactical rationale behind shifting winger Timothy Tillman inward on this day, Coach Dos Santos said, "We anticipated that the opponent would drop deep and fill the penalty box completely. We did not want Son Heung-min to be left alone at the front line in such a densely packed defensive situation."

Coach Dos Santos further explained, "We advanced Ryan Hollingshead and Bouanga to higher positions to secure space on the flanks, while sending Tillman into the half-space to support Son Heung-min closely, effectively making him act like a fake second striker. This was our solution to create creative movement in the absence of a traditional target-type No. 9 striker."

Despite the disappointing result of a goalless draw and a 1-1 stalemate, the head coach shielded the players' performance and attitude. Coach Dos Santos emphasized, "We set a club record with 34 shots. We recorded 48 touches inside the opponent's box alone and constantly penetrated to the end line. It was a day where the opposing goalkeeper made consecutive saves; it would not have been surprising if we had won 4-1. We cannot blame only the attacking players."

He added, "When opponents drop deep and build a ten-back defense, breaking through this structure with precision remains a task we must continue to develop. If the players maintain the attitude they showed today in every match, we will be able to win numerous games ahead." He expressed his trust in the squad.

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*This content was translated by AI.