BRIDGEVIEW, Ill. – The Son Heung-Min era in Major League Soccer is officially underway.
Just three days after being unveiled as LAFC's newest marquee signing, Asia’s biggest soccer star debuted in front of a sold-out Chicago crowd on Saturday evening. In a lightning-quick turn of events, Son travelled to the Windy City, was cleared to play a day before the game, and came off the bench in the 61st minute at SeatGeek Stadium.
The South Korean international and former Tottenham Hotspur captain wasted no time making his presence felt.
“I really enjoyed it,” Son said postgame of his first MLS gameday experience. “I’ve never had this welcoming at an away game. It was nice to see that people are celebrating and people are enjoying the football. I love to be here.”
Straight into the action
On the field, Son brought a new energy to LAFC’s rotated attack, giving a boost alongside fellow Designated Player Denis Bouanga, who came on as a halftime substitute.
In a back-and-forth game and with his new team trailing 2-1 following a goal from the Fire's Jonathan Bamba, Son made his mark on the match in the 77th minute, drawing a penalty kick call on Chicago defender Carlos Terán after breaking away with a perfectly timed burst of acceleration, setting up Bouanga's equalizer from the spot.
“It’s not something we draw up on the tactics board by any means,” head coach Steve Cherundolo said of the sequence. “That’s the game. That’s why the fans come to the stadium, and I thought tonight was a very exciting match."
Son nearly made the perfect introduction in the dying minutes of added time. The 33-year-old found himself bearing down on Chris Brady’s goal in the 93rd minute, but fullback Jonathan Dean came to the rescue, sliding in to preserve the final 2-2 scoreline and secure a point for Chicago.
“His following is worldwide, and there’s a reason for it; he’s phenomenal,” defender Ryan Hollingshead said of the league's new record signing. “You saw him come in for 20, 30 minutes and change the game for us, and offer something different than what we had.
"And that’s why we brought him in, because he’s still performing at a high level.”
More to come
While the stadium was mostly filled with a field of red, the strong LAFC traveling support made their presence known with a noticeable roar upon Son’s introduction.
Fans wearing South Korea, Tottenham Hotspur and Bayer 04 Leverkusen kits throughout the crowd were no different, greeting MLS’s newest sensation to North American soccer, some with tears in their eyes at the historic moment.
On Matchday 28, the league got a peek at Son’s creative ingenuity and quality, and LAFC will now count on their new DP in their chase for a second MLS Cup.
With his debut out of the way and 11 games remaining in the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs pursuit, Cherundolo & Co. will look for Son to be a world-class reinforcement to their already potent attack.
“There was a great atmosphere here and both teams tried to win the game,” Cherundolo said. “Taking our chances has been an area we’ve been struggling with all season, and bringing Sonny is going to help alleviate that.”
