Los angeles: Son Heung-min and his Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) are off to a winning start in their Major League Soccer (MLS) Cup Playoffs. LAFC, seeded third in the Western Conference, edged out No. 6 seed Austin FC 2-1 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Wednesday in the opening match of the first round of the playoffs.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the second match of the best-of-three series will take place at Q2 Stadium in Austin, Texas, on Sunday. Should the two clubs split these initial matches, LAFC will host Austin FC again at BMO Stadium in the deciding contest next weekend. In this series, matches tied after 90 minutes will proceed directly to penalties to determine the winner, foregoing a 30-minute extra session.
LAFC claimed a 1-0 lead in the 20th minute, courtesy of an own goal by Austin FC defender Brendan Hines-Ike. Austin FC equalized with a goal of their own, as Jon Gallagher scored from an Owen Wolff assist in the 63rd minute.
Nathan Orda secured the victory for LAFC with a decisive 79th-minute goal, following a play initiated by Son Heung-min with a dynamic run through the center of the field. Approaching the box, Son passed to his left, finding Denis Bounaga, whose shot deflected off an Austin FC player, eluding the diving goalkeeper Brad Stuver. Orda redirected the ball into the open net in the final moments.
Son Heung-min concluded the match with two shots on target and a team-high eight key passes, which are passes that immediately lead to shots on goal. Since joining LAFC in August, Son has tallied nine goals and three assists in 10 regular-season matches.