Son Heung-Min scored his first Major League Soccer (MLS) goal for Los Angeles FC (LAFC) on August 23, just 17 days after joining the team. The goal came in his second MLS appearance, thrilling the Korean American community both in Texas and in Los Angeles.
The match took place at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, where LAFC faced FC Dallas in a regular season game. Son started as the central forward in LAFC’s 4-3-3 formation and scored the opening goal in the sixth minute of the first half. The chance came after teammate Denis Bouanga, playing on the left wing, won a free kick near the Dallas penalty box in the fifth minute. Son struck the ball with his right foot over the defensive wall and into the top-left corner of the net.
The goal set off loud cheers across the stadium. Jong-Ik Lee, who witnessed the moment from the stands, told The Korea Daily on August 24, “Everyone shouted all at once in joy.” He added, “When Son stepped up as the kicker, I had a feeling it would go in, so I quickly grabbed my phone and recorded the goal.” Lee estimated that between 400 and 500 Korean Americans attended the game, creating an atmosphere he described as like “the Red Devils (South Korea’s national team supporters) being summoned to Dallas.” Many wore South Korea national team jerseys or Son’s Tottenham Hotspur uniform, waving the Taegeukgi (the South Korean flag) throughout the match.
The celebrations extended back to Los Angeles. The Tiger Supporters Group (TSG), a Koreatown-based supporters’ group, hosted a watch party at Beergarden LA, where fans erupted in cheers at Son’s goal. On Instagram, TSG shared videos of both Korean American and non-Korean fans celebrating together. The official LAFC supporters’ group, 3252, also posted clips of fans jumping and singing, after organizing a large-scale viewing event inside an Ontario International Airport hangar.
Despite Son’s early strike, the game ended in a 1-1 draw. Logan Farrington equalized for Dallas just seven minutes later. Son played the full match, marking his second consecutive 90-minute appearance after starting against the New England Revolution on August 16.
Speaking to the broadcast network afterward, Son said, “I’m happy to have scored my first LAFC goal, but the most important thing was to get three points, which we didn’t.”
BY KYEONGJUN KIM [kim.kyeongjun1@koreadaily.com]
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