*This content was translated by AI.
Despite Son Heung-min, captain of the South Korean national football team, delivering an outstanding performance, his club Los Angeles FC (LAFC) failed to maintain its upward momentum.
On the 13th at 9:30 a.m. (Korean time), LAFC suffered a decisive 1-3 loss in an away match against Sporting Kansas City at Sporting Park in Kansas City, Kansas, USA, in Round 26 of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) season.
As a result, LAFC's record stands at 11 wins, 7 draws, and 8 losses (40 points), dropping from third place to fifth place in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, first-place Vancouver Whitecaps, who have played one fewer match, hold 46 points, making the race for top spot even more challenging.
The defeat was particularly shocking because it came against Sporting Kansas City, the lowest-ranked team (15th) in the Western Conference. With this win, Kansas City improved to 5 wins, 3 draws, and 16 losses (18 points).
LAFC had previously escaped a seven-match winless slump with a victory over New York Red Bulls. They aimed to build momentum against Kansas City and pursue consecutive wins but were held back by the bottom-ranked team.
LAFC manager Marc Dos Santos deployed a 4-3-3 formation. Son Heung-min started as the central striker and coordinated attacks alongside Dennis Bouanga on the left flank, among others.
Son Heung-min played the full match and was involved in Bouanga's second-half goal in the 2nd minute. From near the penalty arc, Son Heung-min passed the ball to Jacob Shaffelburg, who sent it across the goal, and a charging Bouanga easily tapped it into the net.
According to European football statistics standards, Shaffelburg's pass directly assisted Bouanga's goal. However, under official MLS records, Son Heung-min's pass was also recognized as an 'assist' that contributed to the scoring play.
MLS can officially award assists not only to the player who made the final pass but also to those whose earlier passes helped create the scoring opportunity. This is similar to ice hockey rules.
Under general European football statistics standards, Son Heung-min's league record this season stands at 5 goals and 9 assists. However, under official MLS criteria, including today's assist, his tally now reaches 5 goals and 12 assists.
Despite Son Heung-min's offensive contribution, LAFC could not celebrate.
From the start of the match, LAFC struggled against the home team Kansas City's attacks. They conceded the opening goal in the 18th minute to Andre Luis and fell behind.
In the 31st minute of the first half, they conceded another goal in a somewhat frustrating manner. During an aerial duel, LAFC defenders and goalkeeper Hugo Lloris collided and failed to clear the ball properly. Taylor Hall seized the opportunity and scored into the net.
As LAFC was generally outplayed by their opponent, Son Heung-min at the front rarely found opportunities.
Son Heung-min's first shot of the match came in stoppage time during the first half. He attempted a direct free kick toward the goal but was stopped by opposing goalkeeper Stefan Cleveland's save.
In the second half, manager Dos Santos introduced Judd Terry and Igor Jesus as tactical substitutions.
The impact was immediate. An attack initiated by Son Heung-min in the 2nd minute of the second half went through Shaffelburg and ended with Bouanga's goal, bringing LAFC within one goal at 1-2.
LAFC continued to press for an equalizer afterward. However, their decisive shots were repeatedly saved by Cleveland, leaving them frustrated.
Ultimately, in the 36th minute of the second half, Kansas City sealed the match. Substitute Jacob Bartlett unleashed a spectacular long-range shot from outside the penalty box, and the ball found the far corner of the right side of the goal with precision.
This was the moment LAFC's pursuit spirit broke. The match ultimately ended with a 3-1 victory for Kansas City.
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*This content was translated by AI.
