Frisco: As happy as he was to score his first goal for Los Angeles Football Club (LAFC), South Korean superstar Son Heung-min also said he was "really disappointed" not to come away with a win in an away match against FC Dallas. Son netted a picturesque free kick goal in the sixth minute for LAFC for his first Major League Soccer (MLS) goal, but the lead lasted only seven minutes as Logan Farrington scored the equalizer for the home side at Toyota Stadium in Frisco, Texas.
According to Yonhap News Agency, the teams ended in a 1-1 draw, with LAFC outshooting FC Dallas 6-2, with a 20-11 edge in shot attempts. "I thought we dominated the game. We created chances," Son said afterward. "Not scoring (more) goals and getting a draw, I think it's really disappointing." Son, who joined LAFC earlier in August, has now played three matches, the last two of them as starts. He said he was "still settling in" with his new team, and he was "enjoying every single moment."
"I am glad that I scored the first goal with LAFC," he added. "But for me, the most important thing is to get three points. I am really, really disappointed about that." After three straight away matches, Son will make his home debut next Sunday against San Diego FC. He has been drawing massive Korean crowds at every stop so far, and the atmosphere at BMO Stadium in LA next week should be electric.
"I can't wait to play my first home game for LAFC and also against good opponents," Son said. "We have to prepare well and recover well to get our three points." LAFC head coach Steve Cherundolo called Son "a competitor and a winner" and said he also brings "qualities that not a lot of players have in this league."
"It's a much-needed breath of fresh air and sense of motivation or wind in our sails that we definitely can feel," the coach added. Asked about Son's goal, Cherundolo shrugged and said: "I think that the journalists and social media have commented on that. Of course, it's a wonderful free kick." Cherundolo stopped short of committing to Son as the go-to man on free kicks.
"It depends on where the set piece is. So there's many, many things that go into deciding that," he said. "But options are great. Every coach wants options, and we have options." Defender Nkosi Tafari was more effusive about Son's goal than the head coach.
"I had one of the best seats in the house. I was standing next to the wall. As I turned, I was like, 'You should be putting it somewhere in the top corner,'" Tafari said. "We were practicing free kicks the day before. I looked just in the top corner, and like magic, the ball just ended up there. I was incredibly happy for him. He's doing a phenomenal job, and I love his energy."
Midfielder Timothy Tillman, who said he didn't get a good look at the shot because he was so close to the wall, chimed in: "I'm super happy for him. He's a very nice guy. He's helping us a lot already."