Son Heung-min Shines With Dramatic Brace but LAFC Crash Out to 10-Man Vancouver in Penalty Shootout Thriller
Son Heung-min delivered one of the most dramatic playoff performances of the MLS season — scoring twice to drag Los Angeles FC into extra time — but it still wasn’t enough to stop his side from bowing out to a 10-man Vancouver Whitecaps outfit in a tense shootout on Saturday night at BC Place.
Son Rescues LAFC After Nightmare First Half
Down 2–0 at halftime and struggling to match Vancouver’s energy, LAFC needed a spark. And as he has done throughout his first MLS season, Son provided it.
The Korean superstar refused to let the season end quietly. With LAFC piling the pressure on in the second half, Son forced his way through a crowded goalmouth, seeing two efforts blocked before finally stabbing the ball over the line to make it 2–1.
The equaliser came in classic Son fashion — a trademark free-kick.
After Denis Bouanga won a foul on the edge of the box, Vancouver’s Tristan Blackmon received his second yellow card and was sent off. From the left channel, Son wrapped a stunning strike into the top corner to level the score at 2–2 deep in stoppage time.
BC Place fell silent. Extra time beckoned.
LAFC Hit the Woodwork Three Times Before Shootout Collapse
With Vancouver down to ten men, LAFC pushed for the winner in extra time — and came agonisingly close. Bouanga rattled the post three separate times as LAFC launched wave after wave of attacks, but the go-ahead goal refused to come.
The semifinals were finally decided from the spot.
Son stepped up first for LAFC but smashed his effort off the inside of the right post. Vancouver converted their opener, and from there LAFC were chasing the shootout.
Mark Delgado fired over with LAFC’s third attempt, giving Vancouver a 3–1 cushion. Andrew Moran and Frankie Amaya kept LAFC alive briefly, and Hugo Lloris produced a clutch save, but Mathias Laborda slotted home the decisive kick to seal a 4–3 shootout win for the Whitecaps.
Vancouver Advance — LAFC’s Run Ends
The victory sends Vancouver to the Western Conference final, where they will face either San Diego FC or Minnesota United. LAFC, who had knocked Vancouver out in each of the last two postseasons, fall short of returning to the MLS Cup final for the first time since their 2022 triumph.
A New MLS Rivalry: Son vs Müller
This matchup was also billed as another chapter in the long-running duel between Son and Thomas Müller, who joined Vancouver earlier this season. Saturday marked their 13th meeting across club and international football. Despite Son’s heroics, Müller once again came out on the winning side — their only previous meeting that Son won remains Korea’s iconic 2–0 victory over Germany at the 2018 World Cup.
A Strong First MLS Season for Son
Though LAFC’s playoff journey ends here, Son’s debut MLS campaign has been nothing short of spectacular:
9 goals in 10 regular-season matches
3 goals in 3 playoff games
He arrived in August from Tottenham and immediately transformed LAFC’s attack. Saturday night showed why — even in elimination, he was the heartbeat of the team.
