Son Heung-Min made an instant impact at LAFC, winning a penalty kick less than 20 minutes into his debut off the substitutes’ bench to help his new team rescue a 2-2 draw at the Chicago Fire on Saturday.
The South Korea star, taking the field just three days after sealing an MLS-record $26 million transfer from Tottenham Hotspur, was taken down in the penalty area by Chicago defender Carlos Terán as he sprinted onto the end of a through ball with a clear sight of goal.
Despite not initially awarding the penalty kick, referee Ricardo Montero pointed to the spot after an intervention from VAR. Denis Bouanga, the team’s top scorer this season, converted the penalty in the 81st minute to give LAFC a share of the points in Bridgeview, Illinois.
“It was a great pass and there was definitely contact and it was definitely a penalty, no doubt about it,” Son said.
“A bit disappointed not getting three points but I think everybody put in a lot of effort, happy I made my debut and I hope the goals come soon.”
It was the second time LAFC had come from behind in the game, with Ryan Hollingshead’s header earlier canceling out Teran’s opening goal in the first half, before Jonathan Bamba put the Fire back in front in the 70th minute.
It completed a whirlwind seven days for Son. On Sunday, he bid an emotional farewell to Tottenham after 10 years following a preseason game in his native South Korea. On Wednesday, he touched down in Los Angeles, taking in LAFC’s Leagues Cup win over Tigres UANL before he was officially unveiled the following day at a welcoming event featuring the city’s Mayor Karen Bass among other luminaries.
It is on the field, though, that Son, who scored 173 goals in 454 competitive appearances during 10 years at Spurs, figures to do most of his talking.
And after getting his visa through Friday evening, he was immediately thrown into the thick of MLS action on Saturday.
Despite declaring himself fully fit upon his arrival, Son had to wait until the 61st minute to make his entrance as one of the biggest arrivals in MLS history.
Things didn’t immediately go his way as Bamba soon scored to put Chicago in front. The home side almost extended its lead, too, but Son’s former long-time Tottenham teammate Hugo Lloris made a vital intervention in goal before the post kept out an effort from Brian Gutiérrez.
Immediately from that reprieve, LAFC sprung on the attack. Nathan Ordaz fed the ball forward and Son, showcasing the speed and direct running that has helped make him a global star, got to it first with only a foul able to stop him from a potential first goal in Black and Gold.
That will have to wait at least another week, when LAFC, which moved up to fifth in the Western Conference, visits the New England Revolution.
“I’m getting ready and it was a decent 30 minutes in my legs getting ready for next week,” Son added. “So we’ll see how I progress in the training sessions and with the players and we’ll see if next week I can start the game and make a big impact.”
