Son Heung-min makes debut as LAFC battles to draw against Chicago

As Son Heung-min made his MLS debut for LAFC, the squad battled to a 2-2 draw against the Chicago Fire on Saturday evening at SeatGeek Stadium. The Black and Gold are now 10-7-6 and have moved up to the fifth spot in the Western Conference.

"Obviously a bit disappointed not getting three points, but I think everybody put a lot of effort and I'm happy I made my debut," said Son following the match. "I hope the goals are coming soon. It was a decent 30 minutes on my legs...hopefully next week I can start the game and make a big impact."

After being left out of the starting XI, Sonny was brought onto the pitch in the 61st minute, replacing David Martínez and bringing forth a moment that LAFC fans have been eagerly awaiting since his acquisition. 

Despite limited action in the contest, he did not fail to make his presence felt. With Los Angeles trailing 2-1 in the 76th minute, he took advantage of a dramatic sequence, breaking away down the pitch and freeing himself for a ___ scoring chance.

He would ultimately be taken down in the box by Chicago defender Carlos Terán, earning a big penalty kick upon VAR review. Denis Bouanga stepped up to strike it past goalkeeper Chris Brady, bringing LAFC even in the 81st minute.

Bouanga, who also came off the bench on Saturday, collected his 14th score of the year. He is now six goals away from becoming the first player in MLS history to score 20 regular-season goals in three consecutive seasons.

The other score in the match for LAFC came in the 19th minute as Ryan Hollingshead rose above the Chicago defense on a corner kick from Martínez, lining a header that barely snuck past the white goal line to give Los Angeles its first score of the evening.

It was only Hollingshead's second score of the year, coming in a big moment to help bring his side even. Chicago had claimed the early advantage in the 10th minute courtesy of Terán, who found his first goal of the season on a header that escaped the dive of Hugo Lloris.

Chicago struck once more to temporarily reclaim the lead in the 70th as Jonathan Bamba rocketed one into the top of the net from the right side.

It was the first game back in goal for Lloris since July 25, with the 38-year-old keeper missing the entirety of the Leagues Cup. He had been in his home country of France addressing his U.S. residency status.

Reunited, Son and Lloris appeared in their first game together since the 2022-2023 season, back when both were members of Tottenham Hotspur. The duo will look to rekindle their relationship as LAFC makes a late-season push towards the top of the standings.

The Black and Gold will return to action in the second game of the road trip next Saturday, August 16 when they visit the New England Revolution. Currently 7-7-11 and 11th in the Eastern Conference, it will be a good chance for Los Angeles to come away with a full three points.

Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. PT.