
Son Heung-min to start final match with Tottenham in S. Korea
Son drew into the starting lineup against Newcastle United for an 8 p.m. kickoff at Seoul World Cup Stadium, a day after announcing he will leave Tottenham this summer.
During his prematch presser Saturday, Son declined to specify exactly when he will leave or which team he will join next.
In the starting XI, Son will be joined by goalkeeper Antonin Kinsky; defenders Kevin Danso, Cristian Romero, Pedro Porro and Ben Davies; midfielders Archie Gray, Pape Sarr, Rodrigo Bentancur; and forwards Mathys Tel and Brennan Johnson.
Tottenham's one other South Korean player, Yang Min-hyeok, will be on the bench at the start.
Newcastle will counter with: goalkeeper Nick Pope; defenders Kieran Trippier, Fabian Schar, Matt Targett and Dan Burn; midfielders Joelinton, Bruno Guimaraes and Lewis Miley; and forwards Anthony Gordon, Harvey Barnes and Jacob Murphy.
It wasn't clear if Son will be around to play the next two matches for Tottenham before the start of the new Premier League season on Aug. 15.
Tottenham's next preseason match will be in Germany against Bayern Munich on Thursday. As the reigning UEFA Europa League champions, Tottenham will then face the Champions League winners, Paris Saint-Germain, in the UEFA Super Cup on Aug. 13 in Udine, Italy. (Yonhap)
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Korea Herald
6 hours ago
- Korea Herald
California dreaming: Son Heung-min wants to go down as legend for LAFC
Having just completed a decadelong career in England as a veritable legend for his former club, South Korean football star Son Heung-min says he now wants to go down as a legend for his new club too. Son was unveiled as the newest member of Los Angeles Football Club in Los Angeles on Wednesday. The Major League Soccer club said they had acquired Sonny, as he is widely known, on a permanent transfer from Tottenham Hotspur in the Premier League through 2027 with an option for 2028 and an additional option through June 2029. Son ended his 10-year Spurs tenure as the fifth-best scorer in club history with 173 goals in 454 matches in all competitions. He won the Premier League Golden Boot as its top goal scorer for the 2021-2022 season, and only three months ago, he captained Tottenham to the UEFA Europa League title and ended the North London club's 17-year trophy drought. Now 33, Son said he will embrace new challenges that lie ahead. "There is no guarantee that I will play well here, just because I had success in Europe. I am getting a fresh start, and my dream is to finish my time here as a legend," Son said at his introductory press conference at BMO Stadium. "Many people in the ownership group put in so much work to bring me here. I always want to give back what I receive, and that's just the way I've lived my life. When the time comes to leave the club, I want to be called a legend on my way out." Son revealed that LAFC "was not my first choice" as his next destination after his 2024-2025 Premier League season ended, with his status for the next season -- the final one of his contract -- in doubt. But a conversation with John Thorrington, LAFC's co-president and general manager, "changed my heart and my brain." With a massive Korean community in Los Angeles already welcoming him with open arms, Son said he wants to bring joy to his Korean fans. "Obviously, as a Korean athlete, I feel very fortunate to be able to have a career in a foreign country, and my objective is to make Korean fans here proud," Son said. "That was a major factor for me in choosing to come here." Son said he got an early glimpse of LAFC's passionate fan base when he attended the club's Leagues Cup match against Tigres UANL at BMO Stadium on Tuesday. Son drew a thunderous ovation when he was shown on the video board with the message "Welcome Son Heung-min" above the words "LAFC Forward." "Yesterday, I was at the game, watching you guys supporting (the team) like crazy. I just wanted to run onto the pitch and show my performance," Son said of his new team's supporters. "I'm here to win, and I will perform, and I will definitely show you some exciting football, and we definitely will have success. In football, you will have ups and downs, but for sure, I can guarantee that I will give everything when I wear this shirt, and I will make them proud." Though he struggled to recapture the magic from his Golden Boot season in the ensuing years, Son said he still has "good legs and good quality." "Obviously, I'm here to perform, but also, I want to give some advice to young players for their improvement," Son added. "I can't wait to see all the teammates." One of those teammates is former Tottenham goalkeeper and captain Hugo Lloris, who played with Son for nine seasons before joining LAFC in 2024. Son said conversations with the French keeper did play a role in his decision to come to Los Angeles but also cracked, "He's back to being my captain, so I have to say something good about him." The playing calendars in Europe and MLS are different. Tottenham just played a preseason match in Seoul on Sunday for Son's final match and will kick off their new season next week. The MLS regular season, though, kicked off in February. Son will have to jump onto a moving train, but he dispelled any concerns about his fitness. "I just had a good preseason, and I don't think people should worry about my physical condition," he said. "We have some paperwork to take care of. And I am here to play football, not do anything else. My goal is to put on a good show for our fans as soon as possible. I can't wait for the day when I get to meet them at our stadium." (Yonhap)


Korea Herald
a day ago
- Korea Herald
Son Heung-min signs with LAFC
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Son Heung-min agreed to a contract with Los Angeles FC on Tuesday, finalizing his move to Major League Soccer after a decade at Tottenham Hotspur. The 33-year-old South Korean superstar forward is joining LAFC three days after he formally announced his decision to leave Tottenham. Son attended LAFC's Leagues Cup match against Tigres at BMO Stadium on Tuesday night, watching from a luxury suite. LAFC will formally introduce Son at a news conference Wednesday, but the club showed the forward on the stadium video board late in the first half as he waved to roaring fans thrilled by their team's landmark acquisition. LAFC, a deep-pocketed club with significant team success in its first eight seasons of existence, reportedly paid a transfer fee of more than $20 million, which could end up being the most ever for an MLS move. Son was a beloved presence at Spurs, scoring 173 goals in 454 competitive appearances for the North London club while rising to global prominence with his combination of speed, playmaking skill and finishing acumen. The captain was given a memorable farewell last week in Seoul during Tottenham's exhibition match against Newcastle, getting a guard of honor from both teams and tearfully exiting in the second half while nearly 65,000 fans roared. But South Korea's most popular athlete — and almost certainly the greatest Asian soccer player in history — has chosen an auspicious stage for the next chapter of his groundbreaking career. Los Angeles has the world's largest ethnic Korean population outside Korea, with the city's vibrant Koreatown district sitting just a couple of miles from LAFC's BMO Stadium. LAFC is undoubtedly hoping to market Son as a soccer counterpart to the Dodgers' Shohei Ohtani, albeit on a smaller scale. Ohtani, the three-time MLB MVP from Japan who is on a trajectory to become the greatest Asian player in baseball history, draws fans from across the Pacific Rim to Dodger Stadium while attracting millions in sponsorships and partnerships for the Dodgers. Son's move to California also puts him in position to make an impact on and off the field at the World Cup, which will be held across North America in 2026. Son, the captain of his national team, already has said he will play in his fourth World Cup. After leading Tottenham to its first European trophy in decades by winning the Europa League in May in a fitting cap to his English career, Son will go straight into the MLS Cup race when suits up for his new club. LAFC currently sits sixth in the Western Conference at 10-6-6, but with multiple games in hand on every team in front of it because of its participation in the Club World Cup. Son will be reunited in Los Angeles with longtime Tottenham teammate Lloris, who has been outstanding since becoming LAFC's goalkeeper last season.


Korea Herald
2 days ago
- Korea Herald
Son Heung-min to travel to US to sign with LAFC: sources
Son Heung-min of Tottenham Hotspur will depart for Los Angeles on Tuesday to finalize his transfer to Major League Soccer club LAFC, sources in South Korea's football circle said, following multiple reports of his imminent move to the club. Son appears to have already agreed to join the team, with only the signing and official announcement remaining. Earlier Tuesday, ESPN reported that the South Korea national team captain is poised to sign with LAFC, with an unveiling expected as early as Wednesday. The reported transfer fee is approximately $26 million, according to ESPN. The BBC also cited a fee of about 20 million pounds, adding, "The final details of the transfer remain in discussion, but his move to LAFC is now considered subject just to the completion of paperwork and a medical." Son confirmed his departure from Tottenham on Saturday during a press conference in Seoul, calling it "one of the toughest decisions of my football career." He officially announced that he had "decided to leave the club this summer." He bid farewell to fans the following day during his final match for Tottenham in a preseason match at Seoul World Cup Stadium, concluding a nearly decadelong stint with the Premier League club. Although he did not name his next destination at the initial press conference, speculation immediately linked him to LAFC. (Yonhap)