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Son Heung-min breaks through the opposing defense during LAFC's home match against Chivas Guadalajara in the first leg of the 2026 Leagues Cup league phase at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California on the 5th (local time). / Reuters-Yonhap

Son Heung-min's (34, LAFC) scoring streak came to an end at four games, but he stayed heavily involved in the buildup play, and LAFC closed out its Leagues Cup opener with 2 points after winning on penalties.

Son started and played 86 minutes in LAFC's home match against Chivas Guadalajara in the first leg of the 2026 Leagues Cup league phase at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles, California on the 5th (local time). He was subbed off for Tyler Boyd without registering a goal or assist.

A goal that day would have given Son five straight scoring appearances across all competitions, following his run of four consecutive goals in MLS after the North/Central America World Cup. His MLS scoring streak itself, however, technically remains intact.

Instead of finding the net, Son focused on linking the attack. In the 24th minute, he drove forward himself on a counterattack, advancing near the penalty box before slipping a through ball between defenders. David Martínez's resulting shot was blocked, so it didn't register as an assist, but the sequence showcased Son's explosive speed and vision.

Son remained central to the attack in the second half as well. In the 52nd minute, he again found Martínez with a pass to create a chance, and in the 75th minute, he took a direct free kick that threatened the goal but was saved by the goalkeeper. Though he came up empty in front of goal, he consistently drew out the opposing defense and created chances for teammates.

LAFC struck first. In the 38th minute, Martínez received a pass from Timothy Tillman and squared a low cross from the right, which Denis Bouanga converted with a right-footed finish. But LAFC conceded an equalizer to Roberto Alvarado just four minutes later, and the first half ended 1-1.

Neither side scored again after that. With the match tied after 90 minutes, LAFC and Guadalajara went straight to a penalty shootout under Leagues Cup rules.

The shootout itself was tightly contested. Both sides missed once, and the score remained 4-4 after all five kickers had taken their shots. LAFC goalkeeper Thomas Hasal saved Guadalajara's sixth kicker, Luis Romo, and Jude Terry converted the decisive kick, giving LAFC a 5-4 shootout win.

The Leagues Cup is a North American club competition featuring teams from MLS and Mexico's Liga MX. There are no draws even in the league phase — a win within 90 minutes earns 3 points, a shootout win earns 2 points, and a shootout loss earns 1 point.

Although Son didn't find the net that day, he remained heavily involved in building attacks and creating chances, with his forward drive on counterattacks and use of teammates through passing still sharp.

Son anchored the attack by drawing defenders out of position to create space, and by setting up teammates when he couldn't finish plays himself. Notably, he also wore the captain's armband and led the team. LAFC kept its winning momentum going even on the day Son's scoring streak came to an end.

                                                                                                        Cheon Hyun-bin