Son Heung-min and Thomas Muller's showdown ended in a dramatic ending. Müller's Vancouver Whitecaps, where nine players fought, beat Son Heung-min's LAFC (Los Angeles FC) after a penalty shootout.
Son Heung-min started the U.S. Major League Soccer Western Conference semifinal game at BC Place in Vancouver, Canada on the 23rd (Korea time) and scored two goals. LAFC drew 2-2 with the Vancouver Whitecaps, but was eliminated when it collapsed in the penalty shootout (3-4).
Son almost became the hero of the day.
In the 15th minute of the second half, when Son Heung-min was trailing 0-2, he scored with three consecutive shots in a mixed situation in front of the gate. Just before the end, he became a hero by scoring a picturesque free kick goal. Soon after scoring a goal, Son roared as he ran to the bench.
LAFC's chances of winning in overtime were high. This is because only nine Vancouver Whitecaps played due to accumulated warnings and injuries. However, LAFC failed to score an extra goal in overtime despite 11 players playing.
Son Heung-min was the first kicker in the shootout. Son Heung-min's shot bounced off the right post. Fans were frustrated because Son Heung-min, who still had the best goal scoring ability. Vancouver headed to the Western Conference finals with Marco Delgado's miss at LAFC.
Son Heung-min has 12 goals and four assists in 13 games since joining MLS. He showed his best performance, but failed to win the championship due to a critical mistake.
After the game, Sports Illustrated in the U.S. rated the game as a playoff-historical event and published the title `Son Heung-min, from hero to villain.'
The media outlet said, `Son Heung-min saved the team with a dramatic free kick, but he failed to continue his reputation in the penalty shootout"He was the first kicker and missed the goal. Mark Delgado then missed out in the same way," he said.
"LAFC's season is over, Steve Cherundolo's tenure is over as well," he said, adding that Vancouver, on the other hand, finally overcame the pain of losing to LAFC in the 2023 and 2024 playoffs.
This article was translated by Naver AI translator.
