Los angeles: Son Heung-min picked up an assist in his first start for Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC) in an away match while showing flashes of brilliance that once made him one of the biggest offensive threats in the Premier League. Son set up Mathieu Choiniere's stoppage-time goal in LAFC's 2-0 win over New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
According to Yonhap News Agency, Son signed with LAFC on Aug. 6, ending his 10-year run with Tottenham Hotspur, and made his Major League Soccer (MLS) debut as a second-half substitute against Chicago Fire FC three days later. Son made an immediate impact then, drawing a penalty that led to LAFC's equalizer in a 1-1 draw.
Making his first MLS start against New England, Son had his first chance in the 27th minute, when goalkeeper Matt Turner's clearing attempt following a David Martinez corner ended at the South Korean star's feet. Son faked out Luca Langoni before taking a left-footed shot from the center of the box but rolled the ball wide right of the target. It was one of only two shot attempts for LAFC in the first half. They did not have a shot on target in the opening 45 minutes.
Son was initially credited with an assist on the 51st-minute goal by Marco Delgado. Son lost possession of the ball in the box but quickly got it back. Though Son appeared to have passed the ball out to the incoming Delgado, it was instead poked away from Son by Matt Polster, as Delgado walked into a right-footed shot for a 1-0 LAFC lead. The play came moments after Son missed the target with a left-footed attempt from the middle of the box, with the forward showing off his patented move in the dangerous area.
Early in stoppage time, Son was robbed of his first MLS goal by Turner, who made a desperate right-hand save going against the grain on Son's header from point-blank range. Son finally earned his first assist in the dying seconds. On a counterattack chance, Son drew two defenders to himself inside the box and then rolled the ball to his left to find Choiniere, who slotted it into the bottom right corner past the diving Turner.
LAFC will next play FC Dallas at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas, at 7:30 p.m. Saturday (local time), or 9:30 a.m. next Sunday (South Korean time).