Son Heung Min continues to display his 'monster' form in the United States

Son Heung-min continues to prove his status as a leading Asian star by significantly contributing to Los Angeles FC (LAFC) advancing to the Western Conference semifinals in the MLS Cup Playoffs.

In the second leg of the playoff held at Q2 Stadium (Texas), the South Korean superstar scored a goal and provided an assist, helping his LAFC team defeat Austin FC 4-1, thus winning the best-of-three series convincingly with a 2-0 overall score.

From the early minutes, Son showed he was the driving force behind LAFC's attacking play. In the 21st minute, from Denis Bouanga’s precise cross along the sideline, Son made a spectacular sprint down the left flank, skillfully evaded Ilie Sanchez with a subtle change of direction, and neatly finished with his left foot into the far corner to open the scoring at 1-0. This was his first goal in the MLS Playoffs, reaffirming the goal-scoring instinct honed over many years in the Premier League.

Just four minutes later, Son was involved again with an assist for Bouanga to double the lead. This time, the Korean star exploited space on the right wing, drew goalkeeper Brad Stuver out of position, then crossed for Bouanga to easily score into an open net. The Son-Bouanga duo is becoming one of the most lethal attacking pairs in MLS, consistently creating chances with their speed and refined skills.

Austin FC later missed a chance to reduce the deficit when Myrto Uzuni failed to beat Hugo Lloris from the penalty spot. The misery continued as Bouanga scored his second goal in the 44th minute, making it 3-0 for LAFC. Although Dani Pereira pulled one back at the end of the first half, the home team could not change the outcome. A goal by CJ Fodrey was disallowed for offside in the 72nd minute, further dashing Austin FC’s hopes.

Before leaving the field in the 88th minute, Son helped maintain LAFC’s solid control of the game. His substitute, Jeremy Ebobisse, sealed the 4-1 victory during stoppage time, capping off a resounding win for the California club.

Since joining LAFC in August, Son Heung Min has scored 10 goals in just 12 matches across all competitions, an astonishing rate for a newcomer. At 33 years old, the Korean star continues to shine brightly, becoming a new icon of MLS and an inspiration for LAFC’s championship ambitions this season. Their next opponent will be Vancouver Whitecaps, who recently defeated FC Dallas to reach the conference semifinals.