Son Heung-min was sent off... LAFC draws 1-1 with Vancouver, who played with 10 players

Son Heung-min (34) returned to his team Los Angeles FC (LAFC) and did his part, including forcing the opposing player to be sent off, but the team was unable to secure another victory.

In the 2026 Major League Soccer (MLS) home game against the Vancouver Whitecaps held at BMO Stadium in LA, California, USA on the 11th (Korean time), LAFC drew 1-1 even though Son Heung-min, who played full-time, had a numerical advantage by inducing the opposing player to send off early in the game.

LAFC, which had a draw (2 draws, 2 losses) in its last 4 consecutive league games, remained in 6th place in the Western Conference with 42 points (11 wins, 9 draws, 6 losses).

Vancouver, who had a draw despite facing the enemy team with 10 men most of the time, maintained the lead in the West with 51 points (15 wins, 6 draws, 7 losses).

Son Heung-min scored a total of 59 goals by scoring against Ecuador, Uruguay, and Uzbekistan during the four-game international match between September and October that the national team played under interim coach Robert Moreno (Spain). He surpassed former national team coach Cha Bum-geun (58 goals) and returned to LAFC, setting a new record for the most goals scored in an international match by a Korean male player.

He scored 1 goal and 1 assist in the match against San Jose Earthquakes (2-2 draw) on the 20th of last month, just before the national team was called up, but was unable to add any offensive points that day.

Son Heung-min has 6 goals and 13 assists in MLS this season. Including 2 goals and 7 assists in the CONCACAF Champions Cup, he scored 8 goals and 20 assists.

The match against Vancouver on this day was LAFC's first game under the new coach.

LAFC fired coach Mark dos Santos on the 28th of last month, when Son Heung-min was with the national team, and appointed Spanish coach Xavi Tamarit as interim coach on the 2nd of this month.

Son Heung-min played as an attacking midfielder in the 4-2-3-1 formation with Denis Buanga at the front. Jacob Schappelberg and Armindo Jeep were placed on the left and right of the second line.

LAFC gained a numerical advantage early on due to the sending off of opposing central defender Tristan Blackman, who was sent off by Son Heung-min in the 6th minute of the first half.

LAFC launched a counterattack after cutting off the opponent's pass, and when Schappelberg took over Son Heung-min's pass from the center circle and was able to face the goalkeeper one-on-one, Blackman ran in and knocked it down, receiving an immediate red card.

LAFC received a free kick near the penalty arc, and Son Heung-min, who took the kicker, kicked low with his right foot, aiming for the bottom right corner of the goal, but it was blocked by the goalkeeper.

LAFC's defensive line collapsed in the 22nd minute of the first half, giving Vancouver's Brian White a decisive scoring opportunity, but goalkeeper Hugo Lloris made a save to overcome the crisis.

In the 27th minute of the first half, Son Heung-min rushed to the goal line on a low cross from the opponent's right, and put his left foot, but it was also caught by the goalkeeper.

The first goal was scored by Vancouver, who could not help but notice their numerical inferiority.

In the 43rd minute of the first half, Oliver Laraz headed a cross from the right side of the penalty area by Edier Ocampo, and Lloris struck it away, but Laraz kicked the ball back with his right foot as it flowed to the right of the goal.

LAFC, who finished the first half in a draw, brought the game back to square one in less than a minute as soon as the second half began.

Sergi Palencia's cross from the right was headed in by Buanga in front of the goal.

LAFC seemed to turn the tables in the 8th minute of the second half with Buanga's header following Palencia's cross, but offside was declared and the goal was disallowed.

Afterwards, they continued to push Vancouver persistently, but were unable to open the opponent's goal any more.

Meanwhile, Vancouver midfielder Thomas Müller, a German soccer legend, was omitted from today's roster due to a hamstring (muscle behind the thigh) injury.