Son Heung-min hasn’t taken long to make an impact for Los Angeles FC.
Before he makes his anticipated home debut on Aug. 31 against San Diego FC, though, LAFC pays a visit to FC Dallas in Frisco, Texas, on Saturday night.
Son, in his first MLS start on Aug. 16 against the New England Revolution, earned a place on the league’s Team of the Matchday as his assist on Mathieu Choiniere’s stoppage-time goal helped seal a 2-0 win for LAFC (11-6-7, 40 points). It also ended a three-match winless streak in league play for Los Angeles (0-1-2), putting it a point behind the Seattle Sounders for fourth place in the Western Conference with 10 matches to go and two matches in hand.
According to LAFC coach Steve Cherundolo, Son has had minimal difficulties adjusting to MLS after spending a decade with Tottenham Hotspur of the Premier League.
“Judging by his smiles that he brings every day to work, I don’t see any issues,” Cherundolo said on Thursday. “He looks very happy and he’s playing well, and so I think it’s been a good transition for him.”
FC Dallas (7-11-8, 29 points) are in 11th place in the West, three points behind San Jose for the ninth and final playoff spot in the conference with eight matches remaining.
Dallas saw a 1-0 lead slip away early in the second half, settling for a 1-1 draw at in-state rival Austin FC.
FC Dallas hopes a return home is what it needs to return to the win column. That said, it is just 3-8-2 at Toyota Stadium.
“We know that we have to start climbing and maximizing our points from here on out,” Dallas head coach Eric Quill said, according to Big D Soccer. “(We need to) be the aggressors at home and don’t be fearful of the opponent. That’s what we’ve been preaching this week. We have our own ambition regardless of the club that we’re playing.”
Petar Musa, FC Dallas’s leading scorer (13 goals) was forced to leave the game against Austin due to injury.
LAFC blanked FC Dallas, 2-0, on July 13 as Nathan Ordaz and Denis Bouanga scored first half goals.
–Field Level Media
