 |
| LA FC SNS |
|
LA Man'S Son Heung-min was considered the best player in the U.S. Major League Soccer Cup.
Sports Illustrated of the United States announced on the 10th (Korea time) that the first round of this season's MLS Cup Playoff ranked first to fifth. Son Heung-min came in third place. SportsElystrated showed his ability at a critical moment, playing the best-of-three series. He helped sweep Austin and provided standout moments in the game with his help and scoring' Son recorded 10 key passes, the most of any MLS player in this round. There were doubts about Son's potential. However, he quickly resolved all concerns and proved he could lead the team long term at Buanga and LAFC.
The playoffs are the first gateway to the MLS Cup. The top eight Western and Eastern Conference teams will play. The first place in each conference will face the wild card winner, the second place will face the seventh place, the third place will face the sixth place, and the fourth place will face the fifth place. What is unique is that it is a best-of-three system, not a European style that determines the combined performance by playing two games. The game ends with a draw for 90 minutes and a penalty shootout determines the winner or loser.
LA FC passed the playoffs perfectly with two wins. Son Heung-min's performance, who experienced his first fall soccer career, shone. So far, Son Heung-min has only experienced Europe's autumn system as a member of Hamburg, Leverkusen (Germany), and Tottenham. 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.
 |
| 사진=LAFC SNS 캡처 |
|
The second game was also flying. Autumn soccer, the first point of attack, was recorded. Son Heung-min counterattacked in the 21st minute of the first half when the score was 0-0. He scored the first goal with a powerful left-footed shot following a unique dribble. Son Heung-min, who had nine goals in the MLS regular league, scored double-digit goals this season. Son Heung-min, who was the only Premier Leaguer to score double digits for nine consecutive seasons from the 2016-2017 season to the 2024-2025 season with his previous team, Tottenham, continued to score double digits even after moving the stage.
This time it was the Vuanga's turn. Son Heung-min came out as a helper. In the 25th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min even beat the goalkeeper in a counterattack. He passed to Buanga, who was jumping on the opposite side, but he came out after hitting the defense and Son Heung-min connected to Buanga again. Buanga scored with the finishing touch. Son scored one goal and one assist in just four minutes. After the game, MLS evaluated them as a `dynamic duo' saying that `Son Heung-min and Buanga two superstars dominated (the opponent) with transitions.'
Son Heung-min played 87 minutes and served as a troubleshooter. He suffered from tough checks from his opponents in the 34th minute of the first half, including a dangerous tackle by Brendan Heiss-Ike, but showed a different class. Son created two offensive points and two chances. Son Heung-min received 8.5 points, the second highest rating after Buanga (9.2 points), who scored multiple goals on the day. "As a former defender, I think a player like Son Heung-min is a difficult player to stop," LA FC coach Steve Cherundolo said. "Son Heung-min is a player who stimulates other players both inside and outside the stadium," Lloris said with a thumbs-up.
There were two in front of Son Heung-min. The runner-up was Anderson Dryer of San Diego, who won the MLS Rookie of the Year award this season. He scored three goals and two assists in the playoffs against Portland. First place was 'GOAT' Lionel Messi (Inter Miami). Messi led his team to the semifinals in the East with two wins and one loss in the playoffs against Nashville. Messi had a ridiculous five goals and three assists in three games. All of Miami's goals were scored on Messi's toes.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
