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Son Heung-min (LAFC) is also at the forefront of the second game.
LA FC will play the second round of the first round of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoff (PO) Western Conference against Austin FC at 11:30 a.m. on the 3rd (Korea time) at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. LA FC took the lead with a 2-1 victory in the first leg at home. The first round will be a best-of-three series. The game ends with a draw for 90 minutes and a penalty shootout determines the winner or loser. If LA FC wins on this day, it will reach the quarterfinals. From the quarterfinals, the game will be played in a single round. If LA FC loses on the same day, it will move to its home stadium, LA BMO Stadium in California, on the 8th and play Game 3.
For LA FC, which is seeking to win the championship, it is better to decide to advance to the quarterfinals on this day in consideration of the physical burden. Coach Steve Cherundolo declared an all-out war. Son Heung-min is constantly playing as a front-line striker. 'Heungbu Duo'Dney Buanga and Nathan Ordaz partner. Mark Delgado, Timothy Tillman and Jayson Marquez build the midfield, Serhiy Palencia, Ryan Portiers, Eddie Segura and Ryan Hollingshead set up a four-back, and Hugo Lloris defended the goal. Three names were changed compared to the first game.
Son Heung-min played his first career fall football in the first game. So far, Son Heung-min has only experienced Europe's autumn system as a member of Hamburg, Leverkusen (Germany), and Tottenham. MLS is a spring and autumn season that begins in the spring and ends in the fall, and the MLS Cup Playoff, a kind of postseason, is held after the regular league is completed. It was the first time Son Heung-min played in the postseason.
Son Heung-min has been very active since the first game. Son Heung-min, who scored his ninth goal of the season in the final regular league match against the Colorado Raffes (2-2 draw) on the 19th of last month, had a 10-day break. Son Heung-min, who showed off his light physical movement, directly or indirectly contributed to the two goals scored by LA FC. Son Heung-min recorded as many as eight key passes, two big chances, two effective shots and four cross successes until he was replaced by Jeremy Ebovise in the second minute of extra time in the second half of the day.
The winning goal also came from his toes. In the 34th minute of the second half, Son Hong-min shook off the opponent's harsh pressure and broke through and stabbed a pass to Buanga on the left. Buanga's shot deflected off the opponent's defender and headed for the goal, and Nathan Ordas, who was jumping in, pushed it in. Austin players claimed offside, but conceded the umpires to score. He did not score, but Son Heung-min, who always led LA FC's attack, was selected as the best player of the game.
All eyes of the second game are on Son Heung-min as well. Son Heung-min scored 9 goals and 3 assists after moving to MLS, showing an unexpected performance. Son Heung-min won the "2025 AT&T MLS Goal of the Year" with a fantastic free kick against FC Dallas in August. It was Son's MLS debut goal. It was so artistic that my teammate said it was a scene to hang in the Louvre. This was the first time an Asian player won the MLS Goal of the Year title, which began in 1996, and an LA FC player received it. Son Heung-min was recognized as the best player in MLS to the extent that he was nominated for freshman of the year.
Austin players focused on Son Heung-min in the first game with a strong physical fight that reminded them of American football. Cherundolo told a post-match press conference that `from the moment of kick-off, Ilye Sanchez hit Son Heung-min twice. To be honest, it was ridiculous on my part. There was absolutely no reason for that" to the point where he complained. As it is a cliffhanger, the check against Son Heung-min is expected to be tougher. Whether Son Heung-min will overcome this and lead LA FC to the quarterfinals is the biggest point to watch in the second game.
Meanwhile, if Son Heung-min opens the scoring on the day, he will succeed in scoring double-digit points for the season. Son Heung-min has been named the only English Premier League (EPL) player to score double digits for nine consecutive seasons from 2016-2017 to 2024-2025 with his previous team, Tottenham. Although the stage is different, the record of double-digit scores will be increased to 10 seasons in a row when scoring on the day.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
