[Official] 'While Son Heung-min was away with the national team,' LAFC coach is shockingly fired... 'In just one year,' he departs in disgrace

*This content was translated by AI.

'Captain' Son Heung-min (LAFC) has been serving with the South Korean national team when his club's manager was dismissed.

On the 28th (Korea time), LAFC announced via an official statement: "After thorough review, we have decided to part ways with head coach Marc Dos Santos."

LAFC President John Tortorella said, "Coach Dos Santos has made significant contributions to the club over a long period. We sincerely appreciate his dedication and contributions, and wish him and his family good fortune in the future." The club has begun the process of appointing a permanent head coach and plans to announce an interim coaching arrangement shortly.

Dos Santos took charge last October but was dismissed in disgrace after just about one year at the helm.

The final blow appears to be a steep decline in performance. Once competing for first place, LAFC managed only one draw and two losses in its last three MLS matches, and had previously endured severe slumps with one win, three draws, and two losses the month before. Amid repeated draws, the team plummeted to sixth place in the Western Conference.

Especially after a lifeless 1-3 defeat to bottom-ranked Sporting Kansas City on the 13th, Dos Santos's reaction proved decisive in eroding the trust of club executives. At the time, he said, "We were stuck inside an airplane during the first half. It felt like we were still in LA," criticizing the poor performance while admitting he could not pinpoint the exact cause of the decline: "Perhaps it was due to the grueling schedule of three games in eight days, or maybe the players became overly complacent—I myself do not know the precise reason." He even failed to clearly identify the root causes of the slump and blamed himself.

The lack of detailed tactics across both offense and defense also came under scrutiny. Despite earning the most corner kicks in the league, LAFC had no goals from set pieces—a severe imbalance. Dos Santos expressed frustration: "It's frustrating. There must be various factors such as kick quality or trajectory, and I am aware of the seriousness," but ultimately offered no solution.

Amid this tactical chaos, a sharp drop in the destructive power of the team's key player, Son Heung-min, proved fatal. Under former coach Steve Cherundolo last season, Son Heung-min dominated the league with 12 goals and three assists in 13 MLS matches. However, under Dos Santos this season, he managed only six goals and ten assists in 23 matches. While his assist numbers remained steady, a lack of tactical support and isolation led to a noticeable decline in scoring pace, including just one goal in his last 10 games.

Ultimately, facing a team with no clear solutions on the field, silence from its ace, and an unending slide in the standings, LAFC made the decision to replace the head coach ahead of the playoffs.

<© STARNEWS. All rights reserved. No reproduction or redistribution allowed.>

*This content was translated by AI.