How Son Heung-min performed on his LAFC debut after leaving Tottenham
Son Heung-min has departed Tottenham Hotspur for Los Angeles this summer.
Son has joined LAFC after a decade at Tottenham, which was capped off with a victory in the Europa League final over Manchester United in May that etched his name into Tottenham folklore.
The South Korean completed his move to America this week after Spurs’ 1-1 draw with Newcastle United, reuniting with former Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris in the process.
The former Spurs captain made his debut against Chicago Fire overnight, and his new club is already feeling his impact.
Son wins penalty as LAFC snatch late draw
The forward came on as a second-half substitute for his debut, with the game level at 1-1 after Ryan Hollingshead cancelled out Carlos Teran’s opener in the first half.
LAFC fell behind again through a Jonathan Bamba strike with 20 minutes to play, but Son came to life to ensure his side made it out of Illinois with a point.
With 10 minutes to play, the South Korean made an instinctive run in behind before being taken out in the penalty area by Teran, with VAR overturning the decision and awarding a penalty.
Denis Bouanga equalised, but many fans were quick to praise Son for his performance, especially given the fact that he is yet to train with his teammates since arriving.
| Son Heung-min’s stats vs Chicago Fire |
| 30 minutes played |
| 0.21 expected goals |
| 3 dribble attempts |
| 6/9 accurate passes (67%) |
| 3 ground duels won |
| 2 fouls drawn |
One fan said: “It’s hard to believe he’s playing now without being able to train with his teammates. He can’t train with them until he gets his visa. Well, I understand they want him to debut quickly, but I hope he trains with his teammates sooner.”
Another said: “I swear this is how Sonny always scored at Spurs with Harry [Kane]. I hate that Son was kept to stick to the touchline ever since. It was nice to see Sonny allowed to run the central area today.”
READ MORE: Why Harry Kane took so long to respond to Son’s Tottenham exit
Who could become Tottenham’s next hero?
With Son now gone, Tottenham no longer possess what most fans would consider a superstar.
When Harry Kane departed in 2023, it was clear that the Korean was the star player for Spurs who would become the leader of Ange Postecoglou’s side.
Now, Thomas Frank needs to identify his new star to rely on in big moments, whether that be internal or external.
Tottenham’s current forwards include:
- Dominic Solanke
- Brennan Johnson
- Mathys Tel
- Wilson Odobert
- Mohammed Kudus
Out of those names, Kudus possesses the skill and trickery to take the mantle of being Spurs’ top player, but he will need to improve his output quickly to justify that title.
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