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Son Heung-min has hit the ground running in MLS

Son Heung-min has hit the ground running in MLS

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Less than two months after joining from Spurs, Son Heung-min is already making a profound impact for Los Angeles FC.

By Graham Ruthven

Son Heung-min wasn’t sure about joining Los Angeles FC. In the South Korean’s own words, they weren’t his “first choice” when it became apparent his Tottenham Hotspur career would come to an end this summer. LAFC general manager John Thorrington had to win Son over and the 33-year-old is surely glad that he did.

Just seven games into his Major League Soccer career, Son already has six goals to his name. He has netted five in his last three outings including a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake last week. When LAFC repeated that scoreline a few days later, bizarrely against the same opponents, Son scored in that game too.

That goal wasn’t just any goal – it was a laser of a strike from outside the box off the inside of the post. It was a moment that showcased Son at his best, at a level some feared the South Korean would never reach again after a challenging final season at Spurs. The most famous smile in world football is back on the face of one of its most enjoyable players.

It was the right time for Son to depart North London. While he’d made himself a Tottenham icon over the course of a decade-long stint at the club, there were glaring signs last season that the South Korean had reached the end of a cycle. His return of just seven goals was the poorest return since Son’s debut Premier League campaign. 

Son’s game has always been about blistering speed and an explosive desire to attack open space at every possible opportunity, so when he lost some of that natural pace in his 30s questions arose about his ability to impact games. This doubt was the backdrop of Son’s summer switch to LAFC.

LAFC went big to land Son. They paid £20m for the South Korean in the belief he would elevate their attacking level, making him the most expensive player in MLS history. Less than two months on, that £20m fee already looks to be money well spent even if Son wasn’t the attacker LAFC originally wanted.

Antoine Griezmann was a target for years. LAFC kept aside a Designated Player spot in preparation for his arrival only for the French forward to sign a new contract in June to tie him to Atlético Madrid until 2027. The Californian club were very much left at the transfer market altar.

Their marriage with Son, however, is a very happy one. Some questioned where he would play for LAFC. The South Korean has always been most comfortable off the left side, but Denis Bouanga already played there for Steve Cherundolo’s side. How would LAFC fit their best two players into the same attack? It was MLS’s very own Mbappé-Vinícius conundrum.

At least it was until Bouanga and Son actually started playing games together. Then it wasn’t a conundrum at all. The pair have dovetailed instinctively albeit, combining for two goals in LAFC’s last two games, with Son generally positioned more centrally. The fit has been good from their very first match together.

Son and Bouanga’s partnership was in full flow in the two games against RSL

After an indifferent first half of the season, LAFC have left it too late to be in Supporters’ Shield contention. With the playoffs just around the corner, though, Son and his new team might have gotten hot at exactly the right time. The South Korean’s first season in MLS could end in glory.

“Two very simple words – intensity and quality,” said Cherundolo when asked what qualities Son has brought to LAFC. “Those moments in a player, in any player, are what makes the difference. If you watch games at the highest level, every player in the field has intensity and quality together. That combination is lethal, and Sonny brings exactly that to our team and to our league.”

Son’s impact in Los Angeles has been just as profound off the pitch. At a time when Lionel Messi’s signing was meant to bring a generation of new fans to MLS, LAFC’s new forward has done almost as much to raise the league’s profile, selling more jerseys than LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo.

An estimated 320,000 Korean Americans live in Southern California and Son is an icon for them. Many of them have been drawn to BMO Field since the forward’s arrival in August. Tickets for LAFC home games since Son’s signing have been hard to come by. They will be at a premium in the playoffs too.

There are other MLS teams currently on a hot streak. The Vancouver Whitecaps have won four of their last six games. San Diego are going for the Shield in their expansion season and will be Cup contenders too. Then there’s Inter Miami and Messi. A team led by a revitalised Son, however, could be the biggest threat of all.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from MLS on FotMob in the 2025 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.

Son Heung-min has hit the ground running in MLS

Less than two months after joining from Spurs, Son Heung-min is already making a profound impact for Los Angeles FC.

By Graham Ruthven

Son Heung-min wasn’t sure about joining Los Angeles FC. In the South Korean’s own words, they weren’t his “first choice” when it became apparent his Tottenham Hotspur career would come to an end this summer. LAFC general manager John Thorrington had to win Son over and the 33-year-old is surely glad that he did.

Just seven games into his Major League Soccer career, Son already has six goals to his name. He has netted five in his last three outings including a hat trick in a 4-1 win over Real Salt Lake last week. When LAFC repeated that scoreline a few days later, bizarrely against the same opponents, Son scored in that game too.

That goal wasn’t just any goal – it was a laser of a strike from outside the box off the inside of the post. It was a moment that showcased Son at his best, at a level some feared the South Korean would never reach again after a challenging final season at Spurs. The most famous smile in world football is back on the face of one of its most enjoyable players.

It was the right time for Son to depart North London. While he’d made himself a Tottenham icon over the course of a decade-long stint at the club, there were glaring signs last season that the South Korean had reached the end of a cycle. His return of just seven goals was the poorest return since Son’s debut Premier League campaign. 

Son’s game has always been about blistering speed and an explosive desire to attack open space at every possible opportunity, so when he lost some of that natural pace in his 30s questions arose about his ability to impact games. This doubt was the backdrop of Son’s summer switch to LAFC.

LAFC went big to land Son. They paid £20m for the South Korean in the belief he would elevate their attacking level, making him the most expensive player in MLS history. Less than two months on, that £20m fee already looks to be money well spent even if Son wasn’t the attacker LAFC originally wanted.

Antoine Griezmann was a target for years. LAFC kept aside a Designated Player spot in preparation for his arrival only for the French forward to sign a new contract in June to tie him to Atlético Madrid until 2027. The Californian club were very much left at the transfer market altar.

Their marriage with Son, however, is a very happy one. Some questioned where he would play for LAFC. The South Korean has always been most comfortable off the left side, but Denis Bouanga already played there for Steve Cherundolo’s side. How would LAFC fit their best two players into the same attack? It was MLS’s very own Mbappé-Vinícius conundrum.

At least it was until Bouanga and Son actually started playing games together. Then it wasn’t a conundrum at all. The pair have dovetailed instinctively albeit, combining for two goals in LAFC’s last two games, with Son generally positioned more centrally. The fit has been good from their very first match together.

Son and Bouanga’s partnership was in full flow in the two games against RSL

After an indifferent first half of the season, LAFC have left it too late to be in Supporters’ Shield contention. With the playoffs just around the corner, though, Son and his new team might have gotten hot at exactly the right time. The South Korean’s first season in MLS could end in glory.

“Two very simple words – intensity and quality,” said Cherundolo when asked what qualities Son has brought to LAFC. “Those moments in a player, in any player, are what makes the difference. If you watch games at the highest level, every player in the field has intensity and quality together. That combination is lethal, and Sonny brings exactly that to our team and to our league.”

Son’s impact in Los Angeles has been just as profound off the pitch. At a time when Lionel Messi’s signing was meant to bring a generation of new fans to MLS, LAFC’s new forward has done almost as much to raise the league’s profile, selling more jerseys than LeBron James and Cristiano Ronaldo.

An estimated 320,000 Korean Americans live in Southern California and Son is an icon for them. Many of them have been drawn to BMO Field since the forward’s arrival in August. Tickets for LAFC home games since Son’s signing have been hard to come by. They will be at a premium in the playoffs too.

There are other MLS teams currently on a hot streak. The Vancouver Whitecaps have won four of their last six games. San Diego are going for the Shield in their expansion season and will be Cup contenders too. Then there’s Inter Miami and Messi. A team led by a revitalised Son, however, could be the biggest threat of all.

(Cover image from IMAGO)

You can follow every game from MLS on FotMob in the 2025 season – with in-depth stat coverage, including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.