Tottenham, are you watching? This is the power of SON that you abandoned. Son Heung-min's stormy performance toward winning MLS leads him to the semifinals with one goal and one assist in the second round of the playoffs

Nov 03, 2025

'Tottenham, are you watching? This is Son Heung-min's power

LA FC star Son Heung-min made an explosive performance aiming to win his first year in the U.S. Major League Soccer (MLS). With one goal and one assist, no one could stop Son Heung-min's run on the ground. LA FC easily advanced to the semifinals of the Western Conference with Son Heung-min's presence.

Son Heung-min led his team to a 4-1 victory at 11:30 a.m. on the 3rd (Korea time) by scoring one goal and one assist in the first half alone in the second round of the 2025 MLS Cup Playoff (PO) Western Conference against Austin FC at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas. 'New Partner'Dney Buanga's chemistry with him was also fantastic. Son Heung-min's goal came from Buanga's pass, and Son Heung-min's help finished with Buanga's goal.

LA FC, which defeated Austin FC 4-1 amid the strong performance of "Heungbu Duo", easily advanced to the Western Conference semifinals with two consecutive wins following a 2-1 victory at home in LA on October 30. The first round was scheduled until Game 3, but there was no need to play Game 3. It's a complete victory for LA FC.

The opponent we will meet in the second round is the No. 2 seed Vancouver White Caps, who defeated FC Dallas. Following the Major League World Series, it is a match between LA in the U.S. and a team affiliated with Canada's representative city. This game is held on a single-judgment basis.

Son Heung-min started as the front-line striker in the 4-3-2-1 position. Son Heung-min's new partner Buanga and Nathan Ordaz were placed in the second line. In the center were Mark Delgado, Timothy Tillman and Jayson Marquez. The four-back defense consisted of Serhiy Palencia, Ryan Portiers, Eddie Segura and Ryan Hollingshead. Hugo Lloris, who shared a meal with Son Heung-min at Tottenham, came out as the starting keeper.

Son Heung-min was selected as the most valuable player in the game 'POTM (Player of the Match)' despite not being able to score an offensive point in the first game. At that time, soccer statistics company 'Footmob' gave Son Heung-min the highest rating of 8.1 for both teams, saying he had two effective shots, seven opportunities, and a 86% pass success rate (18/21).

In this second game, Son Heung-min's offense became sharper. As if he had come out with a determination, he rushed to the goal. When Son Heung-min jumped in with determination, the Austin defense could not stop it. The result was multi-attack points in the first half alone.

Son's first goal came in the 21st minute of the first half when the score was 0-0. Son Heung-min, who received a pass that Buanga stabbed forward in the counterattack, penetrated the left side of the penalty box. He then beat a defender with a personal talent and shot his left foot diagonally. It was a narrow angle, but Son Heung-min's shot penetrated the goalkeeper accurately and into the corner of the opposite goal as if it were measured with a ruler. Son Heung-min scored in double digits this season following nine regular league goals.

Son Heung-min, who received Buanga's pass and scored the team's first goal, immediately rewarded Buanga by creating a goal chance. The combination play of the fantastic 'Heungbu Duo' came out.

It was only four minutes after the first goal. It was a counterattack again this time. Son Heung-min beat not only the defense but also the goalkeeper with his fast and sharp breakthrough ability. Then I passed it to Vuanga, who was inundating from the other side. It was blocked by the defense once, but Son Heung-min pushed it back to Buanga. It was almost like feeding it in your mouth. It is ridiculous that a player of the level of Buanga misses such a goal. Buanga finished the goal lightly. LA FC quickly broke Austin's spirits with a 2-0 run.

Austin's defense's play was getting rough. He tried to knock down Son Heung-min somehow. Eventually, in the 34th minute of the first half, Brendan Heiss-Ike made a dangerous tackle on Son Heung-min. A warning has been issued. Fortunately, Son got up without any major injuries. There is a high possibility that this kind of rough play will come out in the semifinals. Son Heung-min needs to be absolutely careful of his injury.

As Son Heung-min showed an outstanding performance in the attack with Buanga, goalkeeper Lloris also provided strong support from the back. In the 36th minute of the first half, there was an unexpected situation inside the LA FC penalty box. The header shot attempted by the opponent hit Buanga's hand and was fouled. It was a clear penalty situation. The referee also saw it correctly.

If Austin scored a comeback goal in the early hours, the direction of the game could also be complicated. However, Lloris created a great scene to save Uzni's penalty.

The expression `chance after crisis' does not necessarily apply to baseball. The same goes for soccer. LA FC immediately got a chance to score a wedge goal after overcoming the penalty loss crisis, and succeeded in it. The fixer was a wealthy man. It was 43 minutes in the first half. Buanga, who caught the ball Hollingshead dropped with his head, beat two defenders and shook the net with a powerful right-footed shot.

Trailing 0-3, Austin scored on a penalty kick in first-half stoppage time. Again, Lloris reached out properly and blocked the ball, but it was slightly pushed out of strength. The ball was sucked straight into the goal.

LA FC maintained a 3-1 lead made in the first half in the second half. Austin replaced three players at the start of the second half and threw a game, but LA FC's defense was stronger. Son Heung-min and Buanga Duo also maintained aggressive play until the end, aiming for additional goals. At this time, Lloris's good defense show came out again.

Lloris overcame a one-on-one match against O'Brien in the 23rd minute of the second half. He saved O'Brien's shot and kept one point. In the 26th minute of the second half, Austin scored an opportunity derived from a free kick, but Austin players were considered to have come forward at the moment of the free kick and were declared offside.

LA FC coach Steve Cherundolo took out Buanga in the 34th minute of the second half. Son Heung-min also replaced him in the 42nd minute. It was a replacement for Buanga and Son Heung-min's physical fitness while strengthening the defensive wall against the strong opponent's offensive. No further developments have been made. Rather, LA FC scored its fourth goal in the second half of extra time to post a victory. Son Heung-min's run to conquer MLS leads to the next stage.

This article was translated by Naver AI translator.