What? MLS is too easy? Son Heung-min, who recognized Messi level in just two games, became the best 11 in the 29th round

Aug 19, 2025

What? MLS is too easy? Son Heung-min, who recognized Messi level in just two games, became the best 11 in the 29th round



What? MLS is too easy? Son Heung-min, who recognized Messi level in just two games, became the best 11 in the 29th round
For Son Heung-min (LAFC), the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS) was too easy.

In just two games, Son Heung-min was recognized as a 'Lionel Messi level' and was named the MLS Best 11.

The MLS Secretariat announced the best 11 rounds of MLS 29 in the 2025 season on its official website on the 19th (Korea time). MLS selected the best 11 in the 3-4-3 formation based on the actual performance of the players who played in the 29th round. Son Heung-min, who played only two games for LA FC, was proudly listed as the best 11 three-top striker.




What? MLS is too easy? Son Heung-min, who recognized Messi level in just two games, became the best 11 in the 29th round
photo capture=MLS homepage
Son Heung-min, who was recognized as a 'legend' after playing for Tottenham Hotspur in the English Premier League (EPL) for 10 years, left Tottenham and joined LA FC on the 7th. He even made his official debut on the 10th, three days after joining the team.

Son Heung-min, who played as a substitute in the 16th minute of the second half in the away game between the Chicago Fire and the MLS 28th round in the 2025 season at the Sitgig Stadium in Bridgeview, Illinois, led his team to a 2-2 draw by inducing a penalty in the 36th minute of the second half. He even showed the relaxation of conceding his penalty kick opportunity to his teammate.

He then made his debut as a starter on the 17th. He played in the 29th round match against New England at Gillette Stadium in Foxlover, USA. LA FC coach Steve Cherundolo deployed Son Heung-min as a central striker in a 4-3-3 formation.




Son Heung-min showed off his stormy dribbling ability as much as he could, stirring up the MLS stage one step below the EPL. Four shots and 88% (29 successful passes) while playing full time. 33 attempts) 2 shots on target and 100% dribble success rate (3 attempts, 3 successes). The fifth inning of opportunity creation was the most on the day between the two teams. It accumulated figures such as (100%) and 6/10 (60%) of ground ball competition, especially creating the most opportunities (5 times) overall.

What? MLS is too easy? Son Heung-min, who recognized Messi level in just two games, became the best 11 in the 29th round
Above all, he led the team to a 2-0 victory with his best performance, including making the starting point of the winning goal and scoring a net help. Thanks to Son Heung-min, LA FC won 2-0 and ended a three-game winless streak. It was a game that clearly showed the effect of recruiting Son Heung-min.

Taking note of this performance, the MLS Secretariat immediately included Son Heung-min in the best 11 striker category. At 3-4-3 Son was selected as the best three strikers along with Marcus Ingvartsen (San Diego FC) and Hafaeu Navarro (Colorado Rappies).




Lionel Messi, the "King of MLS" was also named in the midfield category. Along with Messi, Pavel Buha (FC Cincinnati), Evander (Cincinnati), and Philippe Sinckernagel (Chicago Fire FC) were selected as the best four midfielders. Messi's teammate Jordi Alba (Inter Miami) and Tim Lim (Shalott) and Dylan Neelis (New York Red Bulls) were selected as three-back defenders. The best goalkeeper was Christian Kahlina (Charlott FC).

What? MLS is too easy? Son Heung-min, who recognized Messi level in just two games, became the best 11 in the 29th round
Son Heung-min was the only one selected as the best 11 in LA FC. In just two games, he was recognized as the ace of LA FC and evaluated at the same level as Messi.

Son's assessment on the spot is 'Heavenly world' itself. The MLS secretariat praised Son Heung-min for being LAFC's "game changer" with just one start. Los Angeles FC coach Cherundolo also praised him. He said, `A player with the same intelligence and experience as Son Heung-min is one of the best in the world. Tactically and physically, everything is well combined and the basics are solid. "I'm really looking forward to the future with Son Heung-min."He also expressed his feelings about winning the match against New England. In one word, it meant 'Son Heung-min is the best'





This article was translated by Naver AI translator.