Son Heung-min Records One Goal and One Assist... LAFC Draws 2-2 with San Jose Despite Numerical Disadvantage

Although Son Heung-min delivered a stellar performance with one goal and one assist, Los Angeles (LA) FC ended in a draw against the San Jose Earthquakes despite being at a numerical disadvantage.

On September 20, 2026 (Korean time), LAFC played an away match against the San Jose Earthquakes in the 27th round of Major League Soccer (MLS) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, USA, which ended in a 2-2 draw. Having lost 1-3 to Sporting Kansas City in the previous game, LAFC failed to secure a win for the second consecutive regular season match.

Son Heung-min started as the front-line striker in the 4-3-3 formation.

In the 34th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min scored the opening goal. Receiving the ball near the center circle, he slowly drove forward to the edge of the penalty arc, and with a defender in front of him, unleashed a left-footed shot from distance. The ball grazed past the left goal post and into the net, out of the goalkeeper's reach.

Immediately after the goal, LAFC defender Aaron Long was shown a red card and sent off, leaving LAFC at a numerical disadvantage.

Son Heung-min attempts a breakthrough in the 27th round away match of Major League Soccer (MLS) held on the 20th (Korean time) at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, California, USA. Photo by Reuters Yonhap News

Fortunately, LAFC managed to end the first half leading 1-0 thanks to Son Heung-min's goal.

Early in the second half, after weathering San Jose's attacking pressure, LAFC struck back on the counterattack in the 52nd minute, extending their lead to 2-0. Mark Delgado, while defending, slipped a forward pass to Son Heung-min, who again collected the ball near the center circle, accelerated past the defender, and drove at full speed into the opponent's half. Entering the penalty box, he laid off the ball from the left to Denis Bouanga, who calmly finished in front of goal.

However, the flow of the game shifted to San Jose’s relentless attacks, and LAFC could not withstand the final 20 minutes.

In the 70th minute, LAFC conceded a header goal to Preston Judd, letting San Jose close the gap to 2-1.

Right after conceding, Son Heung-min found the net again, receiving a pass from Sergi Palencia and firing a right-footed shot from inside the box. The ball deflected off a defender, sailed over the goalkeeper, and landed in the goal. However, after a video review, it was determined that Palencia had committed a foul earlier in the attacking play, so Son Heung-min’s goal was overturned.

From LAFC’s perspective, the 8 added minutes of stoppage time in the second half felt extremely long. They survived up to the seventh minute, but just before the final whistle, LAFC allowed a left-footed long-range equalizer to Laird Roberts.

With one goal and one assist, Son Heung-min’s regular season record now stands at 6 goals and 13 assists in 25 games. His 13 assists rank him tied for first with Inter Miami’s Lionel Messi. Including his 2 goals and 7 assists from the Confederation of North, Central America and Caribbean Association Football (CONCACAF) Champions Cup, his season total is now 8 goals and 20 assists in 36 appearances.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.