Chicago (AFP) – South Korea star Son Heung-min made his Major League Soccer debut for Los Angeles FC Saturday, providing a burst of energy as a second-half substitute in a 2-2 draw with the Fire in Chicago. Son was brought down for a penalty in the 77th minute that Denis Bouanga converted to clinch a draw in the 81st minute, with 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 onto 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.
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Son signed with LAFC on Wednesday for a reported MLS record $26 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. However, 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 they 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, and 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.”
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