Son Heung-min warming up [AFP=Yonhap News]

Son Heung-min (33, LAFC) recorded his 8th assist in the league, rising to sole first place in assists in Major League Soccer (MLS).

With Son Heung-min's performance, his team LAFC dramatically escaped a potential loss.

LAFC secured a 2-2 draw against San Diego FC on the 3rd (Korean time) at Snapdragon Stadium in San Diego, California, in their 11th round away match of the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) season, thanks to an equalizer scored just before the end of the game.

Son Heung-min, who started the match on the bench and came on in the 60th minute as a substitute for Ryan Hollingshead, signaled a comeback by assisting Denis Bouanga's goal in the 82nd minute when his team was trailing 0-2.

With this assist, Son Heung-min has recorded 8 assists in 9 league appearances, moving into sole possession of first place in MLS assists.

Expanding the scope to all official matches, including the 7 games in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, this marks his 14th assist of the season.

However, excluding his 2 goals in the Champions Cup, his lack of league goals remains a point of regret.

The early flow of the game was completely dominated by the home team, San Diego.

San Diego took the lead with Marcus Ingvartsen's opening goal in just the 7th minute.

Ingvartsen connected with a precise header from close range to the cross from Anders Dreyer from a corner kick, finding the back of the net.

LAFC continued to struggle afterwards. While San Diego poured in 6 shots (2 on target) throughout the first half with high possession of 65%, LAFC managed only 1 shot (0 on target), exposing their ineffective offense.

Son Heung-min [AFP=Yonhap News] 

LAFC attempted to increase their attacking pressure by bringing in Son Heung-min in the 60th minute, but they crumbled again due to a single mistake.

The turning point came in the 71st minute when a passing error during build-up play led to a loss of possession.

Dreyer intercepted the ball, sent it into the box, and Ingvartsen calmly controlled it before precisely slotting it into the left corner of the goal with his right foot, completing his brace.

Son Heung-min strived to create a foothold for a comeback through an opportunity he earned himself.

In the 78th minute, after a Video Assistant Referee (VAR) review confirmed that Aníbal Godoy had struck Son Heung-min's neck with his arm, a free kick was awarded in a good position near the penalty area, and Son Heung-min took it himself.

Son Heung-min attempted a powerful right-footed shot, but the ball deflected off Godoy's face, who was part of the defensive wall, and unfortunately did not result in a goal.

However, before the disappointment of the missed opportunity could even fade, in the 82nd minute, Son Heung-min proved his presence by assisting Bouanga's goal.

The dramatic equalizer that saved LAFC from a likely defeat came in the 90+4th minute. With extended stoppage time due to substitutions in San Diego's goalkeeper, LAFC did not miss their final set-piece opportunity.

From a corner kick, Mathieu Choiniere headed the ball down to Ryan Hollingshead, who was in front of the goal. Hollingshead calmly finished with a left-footed shot, opening San Diego's goal.

The comeback, initiated by Son Heung-min's assist, bore fruit just before the end of the match, allowing LAFC to dramatically escape a near-certain loss.

With the added point, LAFC maintained their third position in the Western Conference (21 points), while San Diego, having let a victory slip away, extended their winless streak to nine games (3 draws, 6 losses) and remain in 11th place (12 points).