Son Heung-min Scores His First League Goal of the Season After World Cup Return

What Happened in the Match

Son Heung-min, the captain of South Korea’s national soccer team, played his first game for his club after the North and Central America World Cup. In that game, he scored his first league goal of this season.

• The match was between LAFC and LA Galaxy.
• It was called "El Tráfico," which is just a fun name for the big rivalry game between these two teams from Los Angeles.
• LAFC won the game 3–0.
• The game took place on July 18 (Korea time) at Dignity Health Sports Park in Carson, California.
• LA Galaxy is another team from the same LA area, and they had Marco Reus, a former German national team attacker, playing for them.

How the Game Went

LAFC got their second win in a row in the league. Here is what the scoreboard looks like now:

• Wins: 8
• Draws: 3
• Losses: 5
• Points: 27
• Rank: 3rd in the Western Conference

Son started the game as the main striker (the player closest to the opponent’s goal). After the team was already winning 2–0, he scored in the 12th minute of the second half to make it 3–0.

How Son Scored

1. He dribbled the ball forward.
2. He passed it to a teammate named Mark Delgado.
3. He got the ball back.
4. He shot with his right foot into the net.

After scoring, his teammates came to celebrate. Son and a teammate named Bouanga jumped at the same time, bumped arms in the air (their special celebration), and then shook both fists to cheer himself.

Important Point: This was Son’s first goal in the league this season. Before this, he had only scored 2 goals in the CONCACAF Champions Cup (a different tournament) and had 9 assists in the MLS but no goals.

Son’s World Cup and Comeback

Son went to the North and Central America World Cup with Korea, but the team did not make it past the group stage (the first round). He also did not score in any of the 3 group-stage games. After that disappointing trip, he came back to his club and scored right away in his first game.

A Scary Moment and the Finish

• In the 29th minute of the first half, Son fell down after his head hit the leg of opposing defender John Nelson during a fight for the ball near the goal. Fans were worried.
• Luckily, he got up and kept playing, so everyone felt relieved.
• LAFC changed players later, and Son was replaced by Tyler Boyd in the 30th minute of the second half. The team finished the game comfortably.

Summary

Son Heung-min returned from the World Cup and scored his first MLS league goal of the season in LAFC’s 3–0 win over rival LA Galaxy. The win gave LAFC 27 points and 3rd place in the West. He had a small scary head bump but was fine, and his team easily finished the match.

FAQ

1. What is "El Tráfico"?
It is the nickname for the rivalry match between LAFC and LA Galaxy, two soccer teams from Los Angeles.

2. Why was this Son’s first league goal if the season started earlier?
He had only played in a different cup tournament and made 9 assists in the league, but he did not score a league goal until this game after the World Cup.

3. Was Son hurt in the game?
He bumped his head on an opponent’s leg and fell, but he got up and continued playing, so he was okay.

4. What is the Western Conference?
It is one of the groups in the MLS (Major League Soccer, the top soccer league in the U.S.) where teams are ranked by points; LAFC is currently 3rd there.