Ex-Tottenham legend Son makes MLS debut in style with game-changing cameo for LAFC
Son was brought down for a penalty in the 77th minute that Denis Bouanga converted to clinch a draw in the 81st minute – VAR confirming the spot-kick after the referee had allowed play to continue.
'It was a great pass. Obviously it was definitely contact and it was definitely a penalty, I have no doubt about it,' said Son, who was sent sprawling by Carlos Teran after racing on to a through ball with the goal in his sights.
'A bit disappointed not getting three points, but I think everybody put in a lot of effort. (I'm) happy I made my debut and I hope the goals come soon.'
The former Tottenham captain also had a string of shots on goal, including one blocked in second-half injury time.
Son signed with LAFC on Wednesday for a reported MLS record US$26 million (RM112 million) after a decade with Premier League club Spurs, where he became a household name.
The South Korea captain had announced the previous Saturday in his homeland that he would be leaving the north London club and departed as Tottenham's fifth-highest goalscorer of all time with 173 goals in 454 appearances.
Son will not get a chance to play in front of home fans in Los Angeles until August 31, when Western Conference leaders San Diego will be the visitors.
But around the Fire's SeatGeek Stadium there were a lot of fans wearing his jerseys, waving South Korean flags and holding up signs welcoming Son to MLS.
Cheers greeted his entry in place of David Martinez in the 61st minute with the teams level at 1-1.
Jonathan Bamba put Chicago 2-1 ahead in the 70th minute and were pressing again when Brian Gutierrez's shot bounced off the post and LAFC seized the rebound.
Nathan Ordaz played the ball forward for Son to race away. He had a first MLS goal in his sights when he was brought down.
The penalty allowed LAFC to level for a second time.
Carlos Teran had opened the scoring for the Fire in the 11th minute with a header from a corner.
Eight minutes later Ryan Hollingshead nodded in to make it 1-1.
Son had said at his introductory press conference – attended by luminaries including Los Angeles mayor Karen Bass – that he felt fighting fit and wanted to get on the pitch 'as soon as possible.'
He will have his next chance when LAFC, who moved up a spot to fifth in the Western Conference, visit the New England Revolution next Saturday.
'It was a decent 30 minutes in my legs, so, yeah, getting ready for next week,' Son said.
'So we'll see how I progress with the training sessions and with the players and we'll see (if) next week I can start the game and make a big impact.' — AFP
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
5 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Stars, stripes and showdowns: White House to host UFC fight on July 4, 2026
WASHINGTON, Aug 13 — The White House is to play host to a mixed martial arts bout on July 4 next year, the day the United States marks the 250th anniversary of its founding, UFC boss Dana White said Tuesday. President Donald Trump has been a regular guest at the often-bloody contests, where fighters punch, kick and grapple with their opponent in a no-holds-barred battle to submission or knockout. Bringing the brutal combat sport to the centre of US political power will mark a historic first. 'It is definitely going to happen,' White, a high-profile supporter of the US president, told CBS television. 'I talked to him last night — 'him' being the president — and I'm flying out there at the end of this month, and I'm going to sit down and walk him through all the plans and the renderings, and we're going to start deciding what he wants and doesn't want.' Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) is the largest and most successful organisation in the burgeoning world of MMA, a blend of martial arts disciplines like jiu-jitsu, kickboxing, boxing and wrestling. Bouts take place in an eight-sided ring — dubbed 'The Octagon' — bounded by a chainlink fence. With few exceptions — like eye-gouging — male and female fighters are allowed to employ almost any technique to attack their opponent. Fights often end with a prone fighter being pummeled in the face as they lie on the bloodied floor, before the referee steps in to stop the action. The shaven-headed White, who has regularly spoken warmly of Trump as both a friend and a political leader, said the president's daughter would be involved in organising the Independence Day spectacle at the White House. 'When (Trump) called me and asked me to do it, he said: 'I want Ivanka in the middle of this,'' White told CBS, whose parent company Paramount has just signed a US$7.7 billion (RM32.5 billion) streaming deal with UFC. White took over the UFC in 2001 when it was a small, loss-making organisation, shepherding it into one of the fastest-growing sports promotion companies in the world. The sport's popularity with young men — a key demographic in the 2024 US election — and Trump's long association with the UFC, have made the president a regular fixture at some of its more high-profile events, where he is greeted like a rock star. Its brutal nature and high injury rate mean the sport is controversial, with doctors decrying the potential for brain damage amongst fighters who are repeatedly hit in the head, though it has gained increasing mainstream acceptance in recent years. — AFP
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Real Madrid oppose La Liga match in Miami , urge Fifa and Uefa to block it
MADRID, Aug 13 — Real Madrid on Tuesday denounced plans to stage a La Liga match between Barcelona and Villarreal in Miami, warning the proposal could undermine football's competitive balance and vowing to petition global governing bodies to block the move. The Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) on Monday approved the December 20 fixture at the Hard Rock Stadium in Miami, which could become the first La Liga match held abroad and the first European league fixture staged in the United States. 'Real Madrid wish to express to its members, supporters and football fans in general its firm rejection of the proposal,' the club said in a statement, revealing they have already urged Fifa, Uefa and Spain's Higher Sports Council (CSD) to intervene. The club accused the RFEF of making its decision 'without informing or consulting the clubs participating in the competition' and argued that staging the match in Miami 'violates the essential principle of territorial reciprocity' in home-and-away league formats. Real further stated that the move would 'alter the competitive balance' and grant 'an unfair sporting advantage' to the clubs involved. The club also warned that approving the proposal could compromise sporting integrity and 'set an unacceptable precedent,' insisting any change of this nature should require 'the express and unanimous agreement of all the clubs participating in the competition'. The plan still requires approval from Uefa, US Soccer, Concacaf and ultimately Fifa before La Liga President Javier Tebas can realise his long-held ambition of taking Spanish football to the US. — Reuters
Malay Mail
9 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Alcaraz defies sweltering conditions in Cincinnati win
CINCINNATI, Aug 13 — Carlos Alcaraz beat the heat and humidity of a Midwest summer as the world number two advanced to the fourth round of the ATP and WTA Cincinnati Open on Tuesday. The Spanish second seed kept his exposure to a minimum in 32 Celsius conditions, taking an efficient 95 minutes to dispatch Serb Hamad Medjedovic 6-4, 6-4, for his 50th match win of the year. 'Medjedovic doesn't like to run that much, so I tried to move him around as much as possible,' Alcaraz said. 'But it was difficult with the ball flying so much and his shots coming so fast. I tried to defend in a good way.' Alcaraz has been on a tear in 2025 as he chases Jannik Sinner in the ATP rankings, and now owns 13 straight victories at the Masters 1000 level. He will play for the quarter-finals against Luca Nardi after the Italian defeated Jakob Mensik 6-2, 2-1 with the Czech retiring after 42 minutes. Five-time Grand Slam winner Alcaraz, who is preparing for the approaching US Open start, added: 'I was really happy to get the win in a very difficult match. 'The season is very long and in at least half of your matches you don't feel that good (physically). 'But you have to stay positive and play your best tennis on the day. I'm proud about that. It's a goal of the season.' Francisco Comesano and Reilly Opelka both felt the heat of their mid-day match, which was interrupted for 45 minutes by rain, as the Argentine limped to a 6-7 (4/7), 6-4, 7-5 win while saving three match points. Comesano needed a medical time out midway through the second set, but came back out to continue what turned into a fight of nearly three hours against the American. Opelka called for the doctor just moments from his eventual loss, complaining of dizziness and high blood pressure after being broken for 5-6 in the final set. After a quick consultation at his chair, Opelka was back on court to weakly scoop a return into the net on his opponent's second match point. The 71st-ranked South American will face ninth seed Andrey Rublev, who beat Australian Alexei Popyrin 6-7 (5/7), 7-6 (7/5), 7-5. Opelka, noted for his big serve, fired 27 aces but also committed nearly 60 unforced errors. Comesano broke on four of his 13 chances. He is the first Argentine into the Cincy round of 16 since Diego Schwartzman in 2022. Gauff wins by walkover In the WTA draw, second seed Coco Gauff eased into the fourth round when opponent Dayana Yastremska withdrew before their Tuesday match. The American, who won the 2023 Cincinnati title and followed up with a US Open crown, will await an opponent from former Roland Garros champion Jelena Ostapenko and Italian Lucia Bronzetti. Yastremska was unable to play due to illness, the WTA said. Seventh seed Jasmine Paolini, last season's Roland Garros and Wimbledon finalist, defeated American Ashlyn Krueger 7-6, (7/2), 6-1 while German qualifier Ella Seidel continued her strong showing with a 6-4, 2-6, 7-6 (8/6) defeat of McCartney Kessler. Two-time Grand Slam champion Barbora Krejcikova outlasted American Iva Jovic 6-4, 3-6, 6-2. — AFP
