"Unbelievable" SHINee's Taemin, drawing attention no less intense than Son Heung-min's... Surprise appearance at LAFC → Son Heung-min's '1 goal, 2 assists' witnessed live

*This content was translated by AI.View Original

Taemin, a member of the group SHINee, made a surprise appearance at the home stadium of Los Angeles FC (LAFC) in Major League Soccer (MLS). While 'Captain' Son Heung-min (LAFC) put on a one-man show with 1 goal and 2 assists, global fans also poured intense attention toward Taemin.

On the 15th (Korean time), LAFC defeated Austin FC 3-1 in their home match of the 2026 MLS regular season held at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California, USA.

A surprise guest appeared even before the match began. Taemin visited LAFC's home ground, BMO Stadium. Before the game, LAFC released several photos of Taemin through its official social media channels. In particular, Taemin appeared on the field wearing an LAFC uniform with his name and jersey number '93' printed on it.

He even had a hawk perched on his arm. There was a reason for this. Taemin took on the role of LAFC's 'Honorary Hawk Hunter' that day.

LAFC holds an 'Honorary Hawk Hunter' event before home games, where invited guests appear on the field with a hawk. It is one of the pre-match events symbolizing the club.

LAFC also introduced Taemin alongside his photos, stating, "Today's Honorary Hawk Hunter is Taemin." They further welcomed the special guest by leaving the phrase "Taemin, always shining" in Hangul.

Fans' reactions were also heated at the appearance of a world-class K-pop star. Various responses such as "Unbelievable," "Amazing," and "Taemin is always the best" continued to pour in on the club's social media.

Taemin directly witnessed Son Heung-min's fierce performance that day as well.

Son Heung-min was at the center of the victory. He recorded an impressive 1 goal and 2 assists, contributing to all three goals scored by LAFC.

After finishing the first half with a 0-0 draw, LAFC finally broke the deadlock in the 7th minute of the second half.

The starting point was Son Heung-min. When LAFC won the ball back in the opponent's territory, Son Heung-min immediately launched a dribble break. In an instant, Son Heung-min dismantled the opposing defense and created a decisive chance with the goalkeeper and goal right in front of him.

It would not have been strange for him to shoot directly and aim for his 7th goal of the season. However, Son Heung-min did not get greedy. After checking on Denis Bouanga, who was rushing alongside him, he passed the ball, and Bouanga calmly finished Son Heung-min's pass to score the opening goal. It was Son Heung-min's 11th assist of the season.

Austin's counterattack was also formidable. They scored an equalizer in the 21st minute of the second half, bringing the score back to a 1-1 tie.

However, the Son Heung-min and Bouanga combo immediately solved it again.

Just one minute after conceding the equalizer, in the 22nd minute of the second half, Son Heung-min assisted Bouanga's goal again. The ball cleared by the opponent hit Son Heung-min's body and deflected to the side, which Bouanga connected with a precise shot to shake the net. It was Son Heung-min's second assist of the day and his 12th of the season.

Son Heung-min did not settle for just assists. In the 27th minute of the second half, he stepped up as the direct finisher himself. After receiving a pass from Jacob Shaffelburg, Son Heung-min attempted a right-footed shot from the center of the penalty box, and the ball went straight into the goal. Following his assistance on both of Bouanga's multi-goals, he scored the winning goal himself.

On this day, Son Heung-min recorded 1 goal and 2 assists, raising his season record to 7 goals and 12 assists.

In particular, the competition for the assist title became even hotter. With 12 assists for the season, Son Heung-min rose to a tie for first place in that category.

He is set to engage in a fierce battle for the assist title with 'God of Football' Lionel Messi (Inter Miami), Anders Dreyer (San Diego), and Christian Espinosa (San Jose).

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*This content was translated by AI.View Original